To Save A Demon
by silverysands
Summary: Hana:doctor @ 25 meets a mysterious, dark, badly injured man one night. Is he human? How is she going to deal with a handsome, powerful demon who just disrupted her life? And can she save him from his injuries and himself? Slight OOC Vivi.
1. First Impressions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.

**Chapter 1: First Impressions**

Hana gingerly raised her head as the fog of sleep slowly dissipated. Looking around she became fully conscious of her surroundings. Yawning she tried to stretch her aching shoulders. "Oh… I fell asleep." Glancing at the clock she realized that it was almost midnight. _I better get home_, she mused to herself. As she began making her way to the door of her little office she heard a loud crash like a window being broken. The sound came from the room next to hers and Hana's movements froze instantly. She suddenly became aware of how lonely the ground floor of clinic now was. Yes, there were numerous patients on the higher floors, but where she was in the basement, in the Virology and Blood Testing Laboratory, there would be no one.

She broke out into a cold sweat and remained perfectly quiet attentively listening for any indication of what was happening. She heard a deep creaking and moaning sound like metal bars being warped and bent. _Someone is breaking in_ she thought and then it suddenly dawned on her that the alarm did not sound off. _But what would someone want in a clinic or a laboratory?_ Straining her ears she listened once more. She heard a soft flapping sound followed by hurried footsteps and loud banging… then silence. Praying to whatever divine power there may be, Hana hoped to remain undetected. But the room in which she was located was illuminated unlike all the surrounding rooms. This realization only increased her terror. _If I stay perfectly still and silent, I… _Her thoughts were severed as she saw the doorknob to her room begin to turn.

Trying not to panic, she looked around for a place to hide; but in such a small room there was nowhere. Swallowing a scream she tried to stop her knees from shaking and facing the door she steeled her nerves as best she could and prepared to meet whoever or whatever was coming in. The door opened, and as someone walked in, the light of her office revealed a tall, slim man. The first thing Hana noticed was how black his hair was and if it was not for her fear, she would have noticed just how handsome he was. But at the moment she could not since he seemed to be exuding a powerful and very dark aura which left Hana awe struck and petrified at the same time. Suddenly the man staggered forward clutching the door for support which swung wider as he leaned into it. Then she noticed that the lower part of his shirt was torn and covered with blood and dirt.

Despite the feeling of dread that had washed over her at this man's arrival, Hana sprung into action. Without thinking she ran to his side and gave her shoulder to him for support. He was so heavy! She then noticed that the top of and the right leg of his pants were soaked in blood. _How could he have lost so much blood and still be alive?_ She managed to get him into the sofa tucked away to one side of her office and raised his shirt to get a better look at his abdomen. She gasped audibly when she saw the wound. It was long and jagged extending from right below his diaphragm all the way to his hip. It must have been quite deep because it continued to bleed profusely.

"Stay right here. I have to stop the bleeding!" She stood up and was about to run to down the hall to the supply room when he grabbed her hand.

"Blood…" he said weakly, "I need human blood."

"Human blood?" She asked. She shook her head in confusion and then said. "You're becoming delirious. You'll need a transfusion. But first I have to…"

He cut her off, "Bring me human blood. I must drink it."

"**What?**" she almost screamed. "You've lost too much blood. Let me go and get gauze to stop the..."

He immediately lost patience. "Stupid girl!" he shouted "Bring me blood from your blood bank. I need to drink it. Human blood is the only thing that will cure me!"

Becoming afraid of his sudden hostile outburst, she did as he asked. Quickly moving into the room he has just exited, Hana was too overwhelmed to notice the broken window and the deformed iron bars that had previously served as burglar proofing. She did, however, notice the depressions in the blood refrigerator. _Did he do this? How could anyone be strong enough to dent this with their bare hands? _Throwing her thoughts aside, she produced a key from her pocket and unlocked the fridge. Grabbing three pints of blood she returned to the man.

Grabbing the bags of blood, the man sunk his fangs into one of them and drank greedily. Hana thought that she was going to pass out at any minute. Not only was she scared senseless but she was rather disgusted with what she was witnessing. _What in the world is he? Is he a vampire?_ "Uhh…" was all she could say before she fainted. She didn't realize that just before she made contact with the floor a pair of strong arms caught her and placed her next to their owner. Nor could she realize that the hostility in his voice was replaced by amusement as he said "Humans are such dumb and fragile creatures."


	2. My Little Flower

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hana to Akuma or any characters therein.

**Chapter 2: My Little Flower**

Hana stirred and slowly opened her eyes to a sunlight room. The ceiling looked familiar, bed beneath her body felt like her own and she was wrapped up in her favorite pink blanket. She sighed happily and stretched lazily. Suddenly the memories of last night crashed into her. _Wait… it must have all been a bad dream_, she thought. "Yeah… nothing but a bad dream. After all… I woke up in my bed." As she rose and went into the adjoining bathroom to get herself ready for the day she tried to convince herself that last night was something conjured up by her imagination.

Getting out of the shower she wrapped her body in a long crème coloured towel and her hair in a blood red one. As she exited the bathroom "I can't remember driving home last night." She continued aloud. "What the hell happened to me?" she asked loudly. She was not the type who forgot herself.

"Oi," came a disgruntled voice, "are you always this noisy in the morning?"

Startled, she spun her head to the direction from which the question came. There, sitting on her bed, looking rather tired and irritable was the man from last night. He was comfortably lounging well-dressed in a clean and perfectly pressed black suit. "What are you doing here?" she asked her voice shrill from disbelief and fright.

"Is that any way to talk to the man who carried you to your home last night?"

"Oh no…" she trailed off. "It wasn't a dream then…" she wondered aloud shakily.

The man was about to make a smart ass remark when he thought better of it. Turning away from her slightly he settled into thinking about what he should do next. _She may be a little slow in the head, but she did help me last night. What am I going to do with her?_ _She knows too much about me. Killing humans isn't exactly my style. I suppose that if I wanted to I would have done so already. I could always put a spell on her to…_

Seeing that he was lost in his thoughts, Hana didn't want to disturb this unknown, potentially dangerous intruder in her house… in her bedroom but "What do you want with me?" she demanded with all the courage she could muster.

He was knocked out of his thoughts by her inquiry. There was one thing that he hated, and that was: not knowing the next course of action. He was taken aback by her tone. Suddenly he laughed out loud. _She dares to speak to me like that?_ She didn't like the sound of his homour. It was dark and ominous like his next few words. Sighing heavily he said, "Do you have any idea who I am?" he asked more roughly than he meant to.

She didn't like the way he said that. Her eyes widened in fear and she quickly shook her head.

"I am the great demon, Duke Vivi."

"D-demon?" she stuttered?

"Yes, a demon from hell. You, little girl, may refer to me as Vivi-sama… or Duke Vivi."

"V-Vivi-sama…" she said softly. The whispered sound of her voice as she said his name and the honorific made him smile almost wickedly. _Maybe she can be my plaything until I become tired of her and this world. _

Hana swallowed nervously. _This man is deranged. I better not upset him, _she thought to herself. She looked away. "Umm…" she gripped her towel tightly. _Oh my… I am in a towel with a strange man in my bedroom! Don't panic!_

"What is it?" he asked clearly amused feeling her discomfort and smelling her fear

His smiled sent warning bells off and increased her anxiety. "If you don't mind… may I change my clothes?"

"Change your clothes? What should you say after that?"

"Please?"

"Please who?"

"Vivi-sama." She was becoming even more alarmed.

"Now ask it again… properly!" he commanded.

"May I, **please**, have the room to change my clothes, Vivi-sama?" she said softly looking at the carpet of her room.

Oh yes… he was going to enjoy playing with her, he smirked to himself.

"Well aren't you going to ask me 'how's my wound'?"

_What was up with this man? _ When she didn't ask he elegantly raised an eyebrow at her. Shivering she inquired as instructed but kept her eyes averted from his.

He stood up then and saying, "Why don't you see for yourself?" He casually unbuttoned his jacket, discarding it and his tie, and pulled his shirt from the waist of his trousers. "You're the doctor."

"Ummm… uhhh okay." She responded nervously. Glancing at him, she waited for him to take his shirt off but he didn't.

"Well?" he asked smiling.

Hana's hands were shaking as she approached him. Gently she took up the edge of the shirt and attempted to raise it. It was however, closely fitting so she would have to unbutton it. Meekly she looked up at him, "Would you please remove your shirt?" The strength of his gaze reminded her that she forgot something. "Would you please remove your shirt, Vivi-sama?"

"You do it." He commanded. "You did it last night."

She was sure that he sensed how distressed she was but he clearly did not care. _Maybe he is a demon_, she thought, almost laughing out loud. It was almost a comical situation… almost. Bringing shaking hands to the collar of the shirt she began to undo the buttons. Swallowing nervously, she tried her best to focus on the task at hand. She felt heat rise into her cheeks and she knew that she was blushing furiously.  
Vivi leaned close to her ear and whispered "How beautiful! You almost match your hair towel. It's a very becoming colour." Her blush deepened at his words and she stepped back from him.

"Please, Vivi-sama." she breathed out. He let her part from him and undid the rest of the buttons and watched as her eyes widened in surprise. "Your wounds…" Her curiosity overwhelmed her and she reached out for his abdomen. She lightly traced her fingers over his flesh where the wound had been last night. There wasn't even a scar, not one scratch. "How did this happen?" and for the first time since he met her, Hana smiled.

Vivi was not ready for the warmth of that genuine smile and turned away from her. "I told you, I am a demon. A highly ranking one at that!" he proclaimed. "Human blood accelerated the healing of my body which heals much faster that a human's even without the blood."

"Wow!" she was astonished and then she asked, "But, what happened to you, last night?" The concern in her voice and the fact that the scent of fear left her made him turn to her again. He was confused. Wasn't she just afraid of him? Now she dared to touch him and ask after his welfare? _What a silly woman!_

"That is none of your business!" He answered rudely. "You should be concerned over what I am going to do with you."

She reeled back from him then as it hit her that he was in fact some sort of supernatural being. It was also her bad luck that he was a demon instead on an angel. She knew she was in trouble now. His naked torso didn't seem to bother him as he approached her. Grabbing her chin roughly, he forced her to face him. "Maybe, I'll have you entertain me." he grinned evilly. He grabbed her hair towel and yanked so that her long, wet honey blonde hair cascaded heavily down her shoulders and back. Drawing her close he placed his nose near her damp hair. "You smell like flowers. You live up to your name, Haaaana."

Hana was too shocked and afraid to even resist. He seemed to emit a sort of dark power that robbed her body of all fight. But her mind was working. She wanted to get away… she must get away… but he also radiated a dark charisma that made her want to stay close to him. She shook her head as she became puzzled. Did she want to get away or didn't she? "You… how do you know my name?"

"Obviously, the same way I found out your address. It looked at your ID card." He laughed as he pulled her closer. "You really are a block head."

That remark made her angry. People always told her she was stupid or silly… but it was her naivety and innocence that gave out that impression. "I am not stupid!" she cried out.

Her defiance making him laugh again, "You forget yourself." His grip tightened on her and she became terrifyingly aware that the only thing that separated her naked body from his naked torso was her bath towel, as she felt his well-muscled chest and abdomen bite into her softer body. "Please let me go!" she began to struggle, blushing furiously, but his strength was enormous.

Surprisingly he did as she asked. He stepped away and retrieving his clothes from the floor, he exited the room warning her darkly, "Try not to displease me. You are mine… **My** little flower!" Hana remained planted on the spot he left her for about five minutes before rushing over to the door and locking it. Pulling herself together, she began to dress. A few tears escaped her eyes as she asked herself, "What is going to become of me? Will I perish like a plucked flower?"


	3. A Beautiful Baron, A Kind Butler and

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hana to Akuma or the characters therein

**Chapter 3: A Beautiful, Cheerful Baron, a Kind-hearted Butler and a Claus...**

Fully dressed, Hana paced her room. _What am I going to do?_ She asked herself over and over again. _There is a demon in my house... A DEMON!_ She sat down on her bed and knocked her fists into her head. "Wake up... It's only a dream... a nightmare. Wake up!" But is wasn't a dream. This was reality. There was a quick knock on her door and someone asked, "May I come in?"

The voice was lighter and more cheerful than that of Vivi-sama. "Who is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"My name is Baron Velten. I am Vivi's best friend."

"Oi, oi, oi, you idiot!" was uttered in an irritated and harsh tone that she recognized was Vivi-sama's. "Who is your best friend?"

"Vivi! You're always so impolite!" Baron Velten almost sounded like he was pouting.

_What should I do? I am sure that they are strong enough to break the door down..._ Before she moved to open the door she heard Velten's voice again. "Come on Hana, I won't hurt you. And don't worry about Vivi... he is not as bad as he seems. He can be naughty at times, but he'll never hurt a human." There was a short period of silence followed by a crash, a bang that seemed to come from her living room and finally a "Vivi, that hurts!"

"Then maybe you should think before you open your mouth, idiot." came the calm reply. Hana rushed to the door anxious to see what was going on in her house. Entering where they were she found Velten lying face down on the ground with Vivi-sama's foot on his head.

"Vivi-sama!" she exclaimed. "Please don't do that." She sounded a little braver than she was earlier.

Vivi noticed and he almost smiled "Don't worry, he won't die." He said nonchalantly as he removed his foot and allowed the Baron to straighten himself and his clothes.

Instantly Velten was at Hana's side gently holding her hand. He was so unlike Vivi. Instead of dark hair and eyes, Velten's hair was golden blonde and his eyes were as blue as sapphires. He was as tall as Vivi and just as well built and postured, but his smile was kind. He was simply beautiful. "What a beautiful young lady!" Hana blushed under his adoring gaze. "I am pleased to meet you Hana!" He was about to bring her hand to his lips when Vivi roughly pulled him away from her.

"Don't mess with me and don't mess with what's mine!" Hana swallowed her gasp and shivered ever so slightly when she heard him refer to her as his. Was she some sort of property? He turned to Hana and said, "Stay away from Velten. His stupidity is contagious!"

"Vivi!" Velten exclaimed in exasperation.

"Toni!" Vivi shouted.

"Yes, Vivi-sama." A shorter man with red hair responded. "You know you don't have to shout so Vivi-sama. This isn't the mansion."

"Toni... always scolding me." Vivi sounded defeated. "Would you please show Velten the door?"

"Vivi, you know why I came here right? I am not returning without you! I will be severely punished!"

"How is that any of my concern?"

"You're so heartless, Vivi!"

"You can tell the higher ups that I will not be returning. And Velten by order of Duke Vivi... **LEAVE!**"

Bowing, Velten said, "Hai, Vivi. I will leave... for now!"

When Velten left, the man called Toni slowly approached Hana and bowing said, "Hana-sama, I am honoured to make your acquaintance. I am Vivi-sama's butler. You can call me Toni. Thank you so much for helping my master last night." Under his long, red bangs Hana saw honest and kind brown eyes. He made her feel a little more relaxed.

_That's right! I helped Vivi-sama and he din't even say thank you! _She thought indignantly.

"Would you like some breakfast"? Toni continued. Oh she couldn't eat! She shook her head. "How about some tea then?" Again she shook her head. "Is there anything you want? We can't have you starving to death!"

"Toni," Vivi ordered casually, "bring her some tea and a small serving of breakfast. She has to eat!" Turning to Hana he indicated to the sofa situated opposite the one he now occupied and said, "Sit down! Toni is an excellent cook. You'll like what he has prepared." He could smell her fear again and it made him feel a little sick inside. He didn't want to admit it but he preferred her smiling. Her smile had caught him off guard earlier this morning, but he liked it better when she was relaxed and being true to herself. When she sat down he said, "Hana, I am not going to hurt you. If I meant to harm you, I would have done so already. I also won't do anything..." he paused trying to find the right word, "funny to you. So don't be so afraid of me. It is..." he stopped. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say.

Hana had to admit that what he said was true. He took her home, but didn't touch her until she was awake. Velten's words came back to her. _He was naughty sometimes but would never hurt a human. _"Vivi-sama may I ask you something?"

"What is it?" he asked lethargically.

"Are Velten-sama and Toni-sama demons are well?"

"To answer your questions, yes. But you don't have to use honorifics with them."

"Only with you? Why is that?" she asked cheekily.

He smirked and said, "That's because I'm great!"

Vivi watched her closely as Hana's mouth made an O. Her _lips are so pink and they must be..._ He stopped himself from proceeding on that train of thought when Toni came in with her breakfast. Elegantly Vivi rose from his seat and said matter-of-factly, "Toni, make sure she eats breakfast, after that we will be returning to the mansion."

"What about me?"

"Oh... you want to come with us?" he almost wanted to laugh... almost.

"Uhh... no... it's just that... well..." she trailed off. She looked up at Vivi who was waiting patiently for her to gather her thoughts. He raised his eyebrow to indicate that he was indeed waiting and listening. For the first time Hana took a good look at Vivi. As she stared she registered a well-chiselled, hard face with a Grecian nose. His lips were full and, like his slightly slanted his eyes, beautifully shaped. He was just as handsome as Velten, except that, as she stared into his eyes, she noticed that they lacked the cheerfulness that attracted her to Velten. Instead they were the loneliest eyes she ever saw. She looked away from him then realizing that she must have been staring, but also because she couldn't bear to see the depth of his loneliness. "I just wanted to know if you plan to leave me to live my life peacefully, without disturbances from you."

Vivi's voice suddenly turned cold as he said, "You must not tell anyone what you saw last night. Do you understand?" She nodded. "Yes, we won't disturb you anymore." He turned on his heal and left the room.

Within fifteen minutes she had finished her meal and Vivi-sama and Toni left her alone to her thoughts.

* * *

"Do you think that Hana-sama will be alright?" Toni asked his master as he drove them home.

"She should be. I don't think that Lucifer-sama would try anything. She isn't directly involved."

"But, Vivi-sama," Toni began to protest.

The duke interrupted him, "It will be alright, Toni. Lucifer-sama won't..." He suddenly became pensive. _How bad does Lucifer-sama want him back? Would he use a human woman against me?_ wondered Vivi silently. _I don't really want to force her to come with us..._ "Toni, let's go back."

"Hai, Vivi-sama. Right away!"

* * *

"Dammit!" he could sense another demon's presence. He was sure that it wasn't Velten, but it was someone fairly strong.

Without even knocking, Vivi entered Hana's apartment. She was still sitting in a daze where they left her. "Vivi-sama! Why are you here?"

"Hana, you'll have to come with me. You're no longer safe."

"What?" she demanded, "what are you talking about?"

"It is a long story."

Hana was becoming angry now. "Who do you think you are? You barge into my life, treat me like some property you bought and now you want me to leave with you?" Her voice kept rising by increments until she was shouting at him. "I saved your life and this is how you thank me? Stop treating me like a toy to be used and controlled."

"Seems to me like you have your hands full, Vivi-sama." laughed someone behind her. Hana whirled around to see a man about Toni's height with light brown hair addressing Vivi. He has two large black wings attached to his back. "Oh, god! Another demon!" She turned her anger on the new arrival. "Can't you all stay in hell? Why are you all flocking to my home?" she screamed.

"Sorry, Claus, I need to get out of here. See you around."

"Not so fast, Vivi..." he began but then suddenly Vivi utters a spell and binds Claus up into ropes. _He looks like a bagworm_ Hana mused. Suddenly Vivi scooped Hana up like she weighed nothing and ran to her window. When he jumped out Hana released a bloodcurdling scream. She lived on the 30th floor for heaven's sake! She tucked her head into Vivi's chest to block out what was happening and started to cry.

"Why are you screaming? Don't you know that all great demons can fly?" he asked smiling down at her. She lifted her head and saw that high above the city, Vivi was floating by effortlessly. She looked behind him and saw a pair of beautiful black wings spreading out from his back. Flapping his wings lazily he glided through the air. He noticed her tears then and so he said, "Don't cry, we're going home, Hana." Holding her more tightly against him to reassure her he added, "Don't worry, you'll be the hime (princess) of my manor."

"But" she began but he shushed her and said, "There are many demons looking for me, Hana and they may want to use you or hurt you to get to me. I won't let anything happen to you!" Hana was surprised by his words. He had said it so fiercely that he too was shocked. "I will guard you, but to do that I have to keep you close to me. Do you understand?"

She nodded a yes, too astonished to speak. Her life had just turned upside down in a matter of hours. _Demons wanted to hurt me? But Vivi is going to protect me?_

Humans were such fragile creatures. As he looked down at Hana, for the first time in his life, Vivi fought against the desire to kiss the top of a woman's head. _When did I become this protective over her?_ But he knew that once he decided to look after her, there was no turning back.

**Note:** Hey readers, I know that there may not be many of you out there, but please review so I know if you are enjoying the story. It is my first, but I welcome any constructive criticism.


	4. A New Home and Guardian

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hana to Akuma or the characters therein

**Chapter 4: A New Home and Guardian**

Slowly Hana allowed herself to relax in Vivi-sama's embrace. Once she did she began to enjoy flying. Her heartbeat erratically in her chest and she wasn't sure if it was all due to the excitement of being suspended 200 feet in the air, or from being so close to Vivi-sama. She blushed as she realized how close their bodies were. She turned her head into his chest to hide her blazing cheeks.

Vivi liked the way she fitted against him. She seemed to be built perfectly for him. As she turned her face into his chest and snuggled closer to him he felt a strange tightening in his chest. _I have never felt that sensation before. _He thought to himself_. Carrying her bridal style doesn't require any effort at all_. _Must be because I have been in the sunlight for too long_. Squinting intensely he stated, "This damn light is too bright! I usually am not out this time of day. I am more the nocturnal type."

"Oh, I'm sorry that you had to come back for me."_, _she apologized. He said that he wanted to protect her and she had no choice but to trust him at the moment, so she decided to try to be as friendly as possible.

"Don't apologize. It is my fault that Claus and Velten showed up at your house. I am the one who should apologize to you."

Did he just say that? Suddenly she realized that Velten was right. Vivi wasn't as bad as she thought. "Vivi-sama may I ask you something?"

"Yes, go ahead."

"Why don't you like sunlight? I love being out in the sunshine."

"I suppose most humans do, but we demons don't like it. Our world is not as bright as this. There is no sun where I am from."

"No sun?" She asked incredulously. "That's terrible!" No wonder his disposition was so dark. Maybe spending time in her world would do him some good. But for right now, she was worried about him being unaccustomed to the morning sunlight. It was just one hour shy of noon. "Vivi-sama... m-maybe you shouldn't be out in the sun anymore."

"So you are concerned over my health again, my little flower?" he sounded amused.

"Well... I-I"

"Don't worry, we are almost home."

_Home? It may be your home, but it isn't mine. Oh no! He took me away without allowing me to get anything. No clothes, none of my books, nothing..._ She wanted to protest but since she was so high up in the air and relying on Vivi's goodwill she decided against it.

She felt Vivi loosened his grip on her and she heard him say, "Look down, Hana. There is your new home." He began to slowly circle his estate so she could get a good view of where she would be staying.

She did as he suggested and the sight took her breath away. "This is where you live?"

"Yes, I brought the summer house up from the demon world." He paused thoughtfully and then asked, "Do you like it?"

Hana was too absorbed in the scene before her to reply. Down beneath them, perched on the top of a hill was the largest mansion she saw in real life. No... It wasn't a mansion... it was a castle. High, white walls tapered into tall steeples covered in black tiles that rose from each of the four wings. There were an innumerable number of glass windows each adorned with a different colour drapery, and surrounding the castle was a beautifully kept garden. There was a long avenue of tall, robust trees which ended before a fountain in the main courtyard. Beyond the courtyard was the main entrance. Towards the back of Vivi's home were rows and beds of flowers. She was still too high up to see what kind they were but she saw red, pink, and white, yellow, blue and purple blossoms. Outside that was a dense forest which she then realized encompassed the entire hill.

Her heart soared within her and looking up at Vivi she smiled brilliantly. There it was again, that feeling of his chest tightening that he could not explain. He thought it best to land. _Maybe I am more exhausted that I though. I was badly injured yesterday. _

As he began to descend Hana became a little nervous and wound her hands around Vivi's neck. He looked down at her and realized what she must be feeling. He had just whisked her away from everything she knew and commanded her to live in a house full of demons. He touched down, but didn't relinquish his hold on her until he crossed the threshold of his manor. _Wasn't there some_ _sort of silly human tradition of carrying a bride over the threshold?_ He wondered absentmindedly. He almost laughed at his own thoughts. _As if the great demon Duke Vivi would get married to a little human!_ "Hana we're here. You can open your eyes now."

Only then did she realize that they had entered the castle. "I am putting you down now." Gently be placed her on her feet and she removed her arms from around his neck, blushing slightly.

"Vivi-sama!" Toni said, "I am so glad that you're safe."

Vivi became rather irritated over his show of concern and comically kicked Toni in side making his stagger.

"Vivi!" Hana exclaimed.

"Of course I am Claus can't harm me!" He turned to Hana and asked innocently, "What?" She smiled slightly and shook her head.

"Oh... they sent Claus as well? Lucifer-sama must..."

"Toni! We will talk about this later." Vivi's tone was dangerous. Then he said in a lighter tone, "Toni, gather all the staff, we have a new addition to the family."

"Hai, Vivi-sama. At once!" Before he turned to leave he said, "Vivi-sama, you have a guest."

"What?" Only then did he realize that there was indeed an outsider's presence in the house. He was so occupied with Hana that he completely missed it.

"Come, Hana." He extended his hand to her and she sheepishly placed her hand in his and he led her into the main living room. It was quite large with a high ceiling and luxuriously furnished. The main set was a deep red colour and looked plush and unbelievably soft and inviting. Hana counted three ottomans, and 2 large coffee tables. On the walls were various portraits and paintings showing battle scenes and. Along the sides were a number of hutches filled with delicate, finely crafted china, delicate glassware or trophies and various other awards. Towards the back of the room with a coffee table filled with decadent pastries sat Vivi's guest.

"Velten, why are you here in my house, eating my food?"

"Vivi! Is that any way to treat your best friend?"

"When did who become your best friend?" Vivi asked rudely.

"Oh, how delightful!" Velten exclaimed as he rushed to Hana's side. "I am so happy that I could meet you again my beautiful princess!" For the umpteenth time today Hana blushed. _What's happening to me? Being around these demons is making me into a high-school girl all over again. I'm not used to being complimented so much, and they're so handsome!_

"Hana don't stand so close to Velten... Remember his stupidity!"

"Hana dearest," Velten said, ignoring Vivi and leading her to one of the sofas, "why don't you make yourself more comfortable?" He sat down a little too close to her for Vivi's liking and he swiftly found himself once again face down with Vivi's foot grinding into the back of his head.

"Didn't I tell you that it hurts when you do that?" he said in a muffled voice.

"Didn't I tell you not to mess with what's mine?" Vivi asked angrily.

"Vivi! I am not your property." Hana sounded annoyed. "And please don't treat Velten like that. He is just being friendly."

"I see that you caught his stupidity already." Taking his foot from Velten he turned to her and said, "As long as I am your guardian, you are mine. **My** little flower. Remember that!"

There was a knock on the door. When Vivi said "Enter.", Hana watched Toni lead a fleet of maids and servants in. There were 36 in all, not counting Toni, dressed in matching black and white uniforms. "We have a new resident starting today." Vivi said in clipped tones. "She is my honoured guest and shall be treated as such. You must only refer to her as Hana-sama. I will tolerate no disrespect or mistreatment. She may be a human, but in this house her rank will be subordinate only to mine. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, Vivi-sama." was the universal reply.

"Dismissed."

Toni stayed behind, "Welcome to our family, Hana."

"We must have a welcome party then." smiled Velten.

"That's a wonderful idea!" added Toni.

"A welcome party?" asked Hana. Was she really going to go along with this crazy idea? If she returned home, other demons might show up. Here she was at least she acquainted with the demons. She felt that she could trust Toni and Velten seemed harmless enough although he did come off as a womaniser. But Vivi... Vivi was... _I am not sure about him. Now I'm in his house, completely at his mercy. And he keeps calling me __**his**__ little flower. It makes me uneasy. Do I really have a choice? I am forced to trust him too. He doesn't seem evil, but his good looks and the charisma I felt earlier this morning is worrisome. Not to mention the way he makes me..._

"You all want to throw a party?" Vivi sounded exhausted. "I am going to bed. Do what you all want, just don't disturb me. So troublesome!" And with that he left.

"I don't want to give you any trouble, Toni." She said disheartened that Vivi didn't seem interested.

"No, no. It's no trouble at all!" Taking a writing pad and pencil from his pocked, Toni asked, "So Hana, what would you like on the menu?"

"How about we keep it simple?" she replied, her mind working. "How about just a simple tea party?"

"Fantastic idea, Hana!" Velten said enthusiastically.

"Al right. Why don't you rest until it's ready? Let's have the party at 4 this afternoon." Toni offered.

"I guess?" What else could she do?

"Helga!" A maid seemed to miraculously appear out of thin air, "Would you, please, take Hana to the pink room?"

"Yes, of course." Turning towards Hana she said cheerfully, "Please follow me, Hana-sama."

This manor is huge thought Hana as she walked along a seemingly never ending corridor. She was lead up to the third floor and into an enormous bedroom. On the white walls vines of pink roses were painted. The curtains were baby pink and in the center was the largest bed she ever saw. It was a grand canopy bed surrounded by diaphanous pink curtains with thicker white and gold silk brocade draperies drawn at the four corners. To one side of the room were a cherry wood vanity and a large set of double doors.

The maid went over to the doors and opened it. "This is your walk-in closet and bathroom, Hana-sama." She followed the maid and saw an adjoining room. Beyond the mirrors, wardrobes, drawers and shelves was a full rose-pink bath.

"Your closet is empty for now, but Toni has sent some maids to do some emergency shopping for you. They will come back in three hours with clothes and toiletries to help you get ready. If there is anything else you may need, please do not hesitate to ask. You may ring this bell" She pointed to a small golden bell on the nightstand, "to summon a maid. If the clothing is not to your liking, we can also arrange for you to go shopping tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Helga."

"Of course, Hana-sama. Is there anything else you need?" she smiled warmly.

"Will you come back with the other maids?"

"If that is what you wish. Please rest now, I will be back later."

Hana lay down on her bed, but she wasn't sure she would be able to rest. Her head swam with a million thoughts. _What am I to do? What about my job and my patients?_ Helga seemed all right. These demons didn't fit her idea of an evil doing supernatural entity. Finally her thoughts settled in Vivi... _He's so dark and mysterious..._ _I don't understand what is going on here. Is he going to tell me? _She closed her eyes and within minutes she was asleep. She was more tired than she realized.

* * *

A knock on her door woke her. "Hana-sama, may we come in?"

Sitting upright she replied, "Yes, of course."

A total of six maids entered, each carrying numerous boxes and bags. "Here are your things, Hana-sama." Helga said. "Shall we open them for you?"

Hana nodded dumbstruck by the sheer number of items they came in with. The maids seemed as excited as she was as they opened the boxes and bags. They fished out blouses, trousers, dresses, skirts, hats, hair accessories and all sorts of vanity items. Lip gloss and lip stick, fragrances, lotions, eye makeup, and even jewellery. Hana was completely overwhelmed. "Is there anything you like Hana-sama?"

She nodded silently. _This must have cost a fortune._

"Shall we begin to put them away?" one of the maids asked.

"Yes." She found her voice.

"Firstly, let us choose what you'll be wearing for the tea party. What would you like?"

Hana looked about her at all the clothes. _Something semi-formal I guess._ "Do you think this is appropriate?" holding her choice up for the maids to see.

"A wonderful choice, Hana-sama!" Helga said reassuringly. All the other maids nodded in agreement. "While you shower, we'll choose matching jewellery and light makeup."

"Alright." Hana was encouraged by their response and their willingness to help.

* * *

By the time Hana showered and dressed and lead downstairs it was only a few minutes to 4. She was told that the party was being held in the back garden. _Great! I'll get a look at the flower garden. _As she made her way to the back of the manor she saw a set of large French windows through which she could clearly see the garden. But that was not what caught her attention. At the door she saw Vivi waiting, looking pensively at the floor. Her heartbeat quickened at the sight of him. He was all dressed up and looking quite handsome in a dark blue suit and a baby blue high collar shirt. At his throat was a dark blue ruffled cravat with a large pearl pin.

Swallowing nervously, she approached him. When her shoes left the carpet of the corridor and clicked on the tiles that lead to the door, Vivi was knocked out of his thoughts. He turned to look at her and breathed in sharply. _Is that Hana? When did she become so beautiful?_ All he could do was stare at her.

Hana was dressed in a deep purple dress with a halter top which enhanced the curve and size of her breasts. It was fitted from the waist up, but flared out into an asymmetrical slightly frilly skirt that reached just above the knee on one side and mid-calf on the other. On the lower back was a nice medium sized bow. She completed her outfit with matching high-heeled slippers, hanging teardrop amethyst earrings and a simple gold necklace with a matching amethyst pendant. She was lightly made up with mascara that accentuated her large beautiful blue eyes and just a touch of lipstick. Her hair was swept up and gathered at the back of her head and adored with purple flowers, leaving the column of her neck exposed. "Vivi-sama... " she breathed out and looked at her shoes. It was all she could manage under his intense gaze. _I wonder if I look okay. _

"You look absolutely beautiful, Hana." She got an answer to her silent question. She looked up at him then, shocked at what he said and smiled.

"Do you really think so?"

"I won't repeat myself, Hana. But I also wouldn't lie about something like that."

"Thank you, Vivi-sama." she said shyly, blushing once again.

He offered her his arm. "Shall we go to your welcome to the family party?"

"Yes." Hana was surprised by what she was feeling at the moment. She actually felt happy. She was being welcomed into a family. For an orphan that was something worth celebrating about, even if it was a family of demons.

**Note:** Hey readers, would you **please** review so I know if you are enjoying the story. It is my first, but I welcome any constructive criticism.


	5. A Dark Prince on a Stormy Night

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hana to Akuma or the characters therein

**NOTE**: I would like to **THANK** all the people who have read my story so far and I am sending a _special thank you to Nanaga_ for my very first review! But I won't be updating as quickly as I have in the past 2 days. I only have time to write on the weekend because I am in university. But enough about life. To the update!

**Chapter 5: A Dark Prince on a Stormy Night**

Wow! The party was absolutely fantastic! Hana could not remember the last time she had so much fun. Vivi-sama was the perfect host, staying near to her side and Velten, who seemed to have a knack for telling funny stories, kept her laughing. As she was climbing the stairs that led to the third floor, she laughed to herself when she remembered what happened when he tried to tell a humorous story about Vivi's school days. Of course Vivi attacked him. Velten got an entire pie in his face. All the maids who were stationed in the garden rushed to his side to clean him up. Yup, Velten was definitely a ladies' man. She also found out that he was a doctor. "What did you specialize in, Velten?" she inquired. But before he could answer, Vivi did for him.

"What else? Demon Gynaecology."

"So Hana if you ever need..."

Velten was cut off by Vivi threatening him with an eating knife. "Finish that sentence and you will feel my wrath." Hana didn't know why but Vivi's possessiveness didn't bother her as much as it did before.

And the garden... filled with so many beautiful flowers! Roses and tulips of every imaginable colour, orchids, lilies, bluebells and daffodils. In the centre of all these wonderful blooms they were seated on an intricately designed wrought iron garden set padded with crimson cushions chatting and eating the most delectable pastries and sandwiches and drinking the most wonderful tea. It was after 6 when Toni told them that a light dinner was prepared and that they should come in.

When she reached her room, she drew the curtain and watched outside towards the front of the manor. She noticed that the moon was covered by heavy, dark clouds. "Looks like a storm is coming." Hana shivered. She didn't enjoy storms. In fact she hated them because storms always brought thunder and lightning with them. She knew it was irrational to be afraid of thunder and lightning especially since it was nothing more than the result of the interactions between oppositely changed ions, but that didn't help. She was simply terrified and she didn't know why. If she wasn't alone, then she found it tolerable, but she was no longer in her apartment building where she could go over to her friend's place next door. Tsubaki always kept her company through thunderstorms.

As she watched the approaching clouds, she thought of her options for company. _There's Vivi-sama..._ She blushed. _Imagine spending a night in his company._ Her heart began racing just at the thought of it. _He was so patient and attentive to me during the party. Almost like a prince._ There was no way she was going to him! _Velten... womaniser, I don't want to be alone at night with him. I certainly don't know him well enough. Toni! _Yes, she trusted Toni! She picked up the bell and rang it. She didn't hear anything. _Is it broken?_ She turned it over and saw that the ringer looked fine. She shook it again. Still no sound, so she shook it violently. Still no sound.

There was a heavy pounding on her door and a "Oi! Stop ringing that infernal bell. You're hurting my ears!"

"Vivi-sama?" She went to the door and opened it to see one irritated demon. "I'm sorry Vivi-sama, but how did you know that I was ringing the bell? It didn't sound."

"It didn't sound?" he asked as a maid appeared behind him.

"I am so sorry Hana-sama that I didn't get here fast enough. What's wrong?"

"Oh..." _Was I the only one who couldn't hear it?_ _Do they have super hearing?_ "Could you tell me where Toni is?"

"He's..." The maid was cut off by Vivi's question.

"What do you want with Toni? You can't still be hungry?"

"I... uh...I..." she didn't know what to say.

"You may leave." He said to the maid, who bowed and obeyed. "Well?" Vivi paused waiting for an answer. When she said nothing he continued, "It isn't appropriate to call a man to your room at night, Hana."

Hana instantly became angry. The way he said that made her feel dirty. "What are you trying to say, Vivi-sama? I am not that kind of woman!"

"Oh?" he sounded amused, but his tone only served to increase her anger. He stepped forward towards her making her retreat into the room. "Then tell me what you want with Toni."

"That is none of your business." She knew what that sounded like, but at the moment she would rather say something compromising than confess her fear of storms to the demon in front of her.

He approached her again "I am sure that, at this late hour, there is nothing that Toni can do for you better than I can." His voice was dark and smooth and she felt as if it flowed over her body like a caress. Hana shivered and turned away from him.

"Please, Vivi-sama... Please leave."

"First you tell me what you want with Toni, **my** little flower." He sounded angry and dangerous now.

Hana dared not turn around. Remembering that he was in fact a demon, she decided that it was best to tell him. "I am afraid of storms." She whispered.

"What?"

Did she really have to repeat what she just said? _He heard the bell_, she thought indignantly, _but he didn't hear that?_ "I am afraid of storms, or rather of thunder and lightning. A storm is coming in and I won't be able to sleep. I will be shivering and hiding all night if I am alone. I wanted Toni to keep me company, that's all!" Suddenly spinning around to face him she demanded angrily as her eyes begun to tear, "**Are you happy now?** Now that I have told you, would you please **go**?"

She was afraid of thunder and lightning? He was about to tell her that she was being ridiculous, but she was obviously disturbed. Sighing heavily, he said, "Hana get dressed for bed. You'll be staying with me tonight."

"**What?"** she shrieked.

"I won't repeat myself Hana."

"**No! I won't! I can't!"** she cried out.

Vivi's patience was ripped away by her defiance. _Is staying with me so unpleasant? Does she have any idea how many females, demon and human alike, would kill for me to even give them time of day?_ Instantly he roughly gripped her shoulders and her face bolted up to his in shock. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Hana, don't defy me!" his voice was dark and laced with rage. He seemed to be surrounded by a black aura. "If you tell me 'no' one more time, I will lock you up in this room alone for the entire night. I will be your company or no one else! GET DRESSED FOR BED NOW!"

He released her and she hurried away from him into her closet. She suddenly became terrified of Vivi again. She began to weep and wiping her eyes she scoffed at herself for thinking that he could be a prince. _No that's not right... he is a prince, a demon prince from HELL, complete with a spoiled and short-tempered disposition. He's certainly not used to hearing no, but used to giving commands and getting everything he wants. _

She selected the most demure nightgown she was given. It was still too revealing for her. It had a deep plunging neck that showcased the swell of her bosom, but it did reach her ankles. It was emerald green, and the silk from which it was made was smooth and gently contoured her body. Grabbing a long black silk robe, _Those maids sure do love silk she _thought to herself absentmindedly,she covered herself and felt a little better about going out to meet the demon standing in her bedroom.

When she came out, Vivi barely glanced at her. "Let's go." He still sounded displeased. Little did she know that he was actually more displeased with himself than with her. He wondered why she could raise his temper so easily when the entire demon world knew him as the Lethargic Vivi-sama. He also was wondering why he was being so possessive of her. The mere thought of her letting Toni keep her company instead of him filled him with rage!

She followed behind him to his room. Only then did she realize that he was on the same floor as her and only two doors down. Then it struck her that if Vivi wanted something from her, there was nothing stopping him from getting it. He was the master of the house, and all the servants and even the butler were on the ground and basement floors.

Opening the door, he switched on the light and waited for her to enter. She only took three steps in and he closed the door and proceeded to sit on his bed. His room was even larger than hers, but the construction was similar. His walls and draperies were black and red. She shivered again. _He really is a demon!_ The bed linens shared the same colour scheme. _The bed_ Hana thought with dread.

Vivi could smell waves of fear coming off her. He didn't like it but he knew he caused it. "Hana, didn't I tell you that I won't do anything funny to you? Stop being so scared of me."

She looked at her slippers. She didn't have a fear on-and-off switch. Keeping cool around him was more difficult than he realized.

"Hana..." Her hands gripped the sides of her robe nervously. When she didn't respond he went to her "I am sorry that I lost my temper with you. I just don't fully understand humans. I am not a womanizer like Velten. I won't take advantage of you." _There isn't any need for me to force a woman._ He continued in his head. _There were enough females that would readily come to my bed._

She didn't move, she didn't say anything. Then suddenly lightning illuminated the sky followed by a loud crack of thunder. Hana screamed then and threw herself to the ground. She was about to crawl under the bed when Vivi's wrapped his arms around her waist. "Whoa, you are not sleeping under the bed."

He picked her up and made her stand up. She was shivering so severely that he pulled her close to his body. She turned into him then, burying her face in his pyjama shirt, as her fear of him was replaced by that for the storm. He slowly walked her over to the bed and while keeping one arm around her tightly, he pulled back the covers. She didn't even notice when he undid her robe and slipped it off her shoulders. He did notice the low cut of the nightgown though. "Hana get into bed."

He didn't have to ask twice. She instantly dove into the bed and covered her head with the thick blankets. If she wasn't so anxious he would have laughed out loud at her actions. _Silly woman!_ Sitting on the edge of the bed he told her, "I won't get into bed until you fall asleep."

She uncovered her head then and moving closer to him she hugged him. "Please, don't leave me alone."

She was a confounding creature indeed! "Should I get into bed with you then?"

She nodded affirmatively.

He walked over to the light switch and turned it off. He heard Hana call his name in a frightened voice and so he quickly made his way to the other side of the bed and pulling back the linens he slipped into bed with her. "I am right here, Hana." He said softly as he reached over to caress her head, seeing perfectly in the dark and noticing how soft and thick her hair was. When lightning flashed again, he saw her eyes go wide and she immediately hugged him again. He adjusted himself so that her head was lying comfortably against his chest. He wrapped both arms loosely around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head. He found himself thinking, for the second time, how well she fitted against him. _So this is what it is like to hold a flower? _When he realized that he was smiling, he quickly scolded himself for enjoying the human's company and the feel of her body.

"Do you feel better now, Hana?"

She nodded again. Actually she wasn't sure she was feeling better. The intimate position she was in with the demon prince caused her heart to beat wildly in her chest and she didn't trust her voice at the moment. Did her heart just migrate into her throat because she was finding it hard to breathe? She was also trembling uncontrollably. Vivi noticed her shivering and tightened his hold on her, bringing her body flush against his own. She could feel the hardness of his body pressing into hers and his warmth radiating into her. It made her heart beat even faster. She thought her heart was going to burst out of her chest, or was it her throat, at any second.

"The storm won't last forever Hana. Try to get some rest."

Being with Vivi calmed her down a bit, but she couldn't fall asleep. It wasn't until well after midnight when the storm finally died that she thought about getting some sleep. Vivi never surrendered his hold on her for all those hours. It was the first time that Hana was in bed with a man. _Where did my robe go?_ That made her even more uncomfortable and she could feel a deep blush working its way into her cheeks. When she tried to pull away from him, he wouldn't let her. So she gave up. It wasn't long before her eyelids grew heavy and she plunged into slumber to dream about a dark haired lord that kept her company that night.

When she fell asleep Vivi was still awake, thinking about the situation he found himself in. For the rest of the night as she slept in his embrace he considered the warmth of her body, the feel of her soft breasts against his chest and the way she clung to him. He saw her blush and knew that she must still be an innocent girl. Now he understood why she was so against staying with him tonight. He cursed himself for becoming so angry with her and vowed to be more patient. The feeling in his chest increased in severity and by morning it was replaced with a low buzzing. Something from deep within him was stirring to life, something that he had never experienced before. He was now quite confused, but somehow he knew that whatever it was, it made him want to stay with Hana forever.

**Please review. I really want to know what you all think! **


	6. Feelings of Uncertainty

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hana to Akuma or the characters therein

**NOTE**: Once again, THANK YOU for taking the time to read my story! And thank you to masterdestroyer3245 and Nanaga for their reviews! So I cheated a bit... It isn't the weekend yet but I finished a really large project ahead of schedule and I have done enough review for an exam on Thursday, so to the update!

**Chapter 6: Feelings of Uncertainty. Would I Be Able To Go Back? **

"Mmmm..." Hana moaned softly and as she slowly opened her eyes. The heavy curtains in the room were drawn so only a small amount of light could get in. She found herself snuggled against Vivi-sama's body, held in place by his tight embrace. Remembering the past night, she wanted to quietly extricate herself from his hold and return to her room. But with his arms wrapped around her body and his chin on the top of her head, it would be impossible to pull away without disturbing him. By the sound of his steady and soft breathing she could tell that he was still asleep. _Maybe if I am really careful..._ she thought as she quietly removed her arm from on his chest and reached around her lower back to where his hands were clasped. Delicately she tried to remove them. She was almost successful when suddenly they tightened around her and she heard, "So you are awake...and trying to escape"?

_Damn! _"Vivi-sama... good morning." She tried to sound relaxed and cheerful. "I didn't want to disturb you." Well at least that was true.

"Hnn..." Slowly he removed his arms and removed the blankets so that she could get out of bed. Almost instantly Hana missed the warmth of the covers and the protective feel of his arms around her. Shaking off the feeling and telling herself that she should not miss his touch, she slowly climbed off the bed. She saw her robe on the floor next to the bed and bent down to pick it up. She began slipping it on when Vivi said urgently, "Hana!" In response she looked at him with questioning eyes, one arms stretched out just above her head through one of the sleeves of the robe, the other stopping in midstride towards the other sleeve.

He quickly slid off the bed in front of her. Taking the robe he slipped it off her shoulder and down her arm. "Vivi-sama!" the girl exclaimed in surprise. She was not comfortable with the plunge of the gown's neckline. She felt exposed. She looked up to him, but he didn't seem to notice her breasts. Instead he was examining something higher up her body. Slowly he reached up and touched her shoulders. There were blue-black markings there. _I did this! Humans are such breakable creatures. _"Do these hurt?" he pressed lightly on the bruises.

"Uhh..." This small whisper of discomfort gave him his answer. "It doesn't hurt much, Vivi-sama."

"Hana... I..."

She cut him off before he went any further. "No, please don't apologize. I shouldn't have been so insolent with you. You said that you would protect me from people... umm... demons who wanted to hurt me and I was being rude and wilful." She then added, "It really isn't painful. Don't worry about it." Hana did not wish to make a fuss over such small bruises. In a day or so they would disappear. She also recalled Vivi-sama's displeasure and rage last night and not wanting him to grow tired of her and maybe just get rid of her, she tried to placate him and the situation.

"No... it is not alright!" he declared. "I forget that you are only human. I have been in your world for a few years now, but I seldom associate with humans. I need to remember how superior my strength is to your own. I will be more careful in the future." He paused looking down into her eyes before he continued hoping that she would realize the importance of what he was going to say next. "But, Hana, you must not keep things from me. I know that you find this situation difficult and bizarre, but please bear with it. I will never harm you."She nodded to indicate that she understood. Retrieving the robe from the floor, he held it open for her and draped it around her body, his fingers lightly brushing against her shoulders. "You may leave now if you wish. It is actually well past noon."

_Was he giving me the option to stay with him? _Shaking her head at her silly thought, she turned to leave. Then she suddenly recalled that she should thank him. "Vivi-sama," she said softly turning back to him, "thank you for letting me stay with you last night." She smiled weakly.

"It was my pleasure, Hana." He said teasingly, hoping to see her blush. He wasn't disappointed as her cheeks began to flame as she turned away and proceeded to leave his room. As she entered the corridor she saw Toni approaching Vivi's room. _Ohhh... no! Did he see me leave Vivi-sama's room?_

"Hana! Are you alright? Did something happen last night?" Because she had a feeling that Toni was the innocent minded type, she thought that he couldn't be referring to anything of a sexual nature. That didn't stop her blush from darkening though. "One of the maids told me that you were looking for me last night, but Vivi-sama told her to leave. I came to your room this morning, but you weren't there." Leaning close to her he asked softly, "He didn't bully you did he?"

"Bully me?" _Does he mean if Vivi-sama forced me into bed with him?_ she thought in horror.

"Yes, Vivi-sama likes to do that sometimes. Just like when he was a child. He was so naughty!"

_Oh thank god!_ Hana thought as Toni went on.

"He would fire his attendant every month, until I came into his employ, that is. Playing tricks, teasing and making people bend to his wishes are his speciality. Oh yes, and kicking too! Nowadays, though, he only does that to people special to him."

"Special to him? You think that..." She let the sentence die there. She couldn't bring herself to think, much more say, that she was anything more to him that some sort of entertainment or toy to keep himself from being too bored. _My novelty is surely going to run out some day._ She shuddered at the thought. _Will I then be cast aside?_

Toni saw her shiver and forgetting to answer her question, he asked one of his own, "Are you cold Hana-sama? Let's get you back to your room. I will summon a maid to help you bathe and get dressed."

"Oh no Toni! I will be fine by myself."

"No Hana-sama! You are our honoured guest! You must have all the trappings of one."

Seeing that he was determined, she gave in. "Okay. Could you send Helga, then?"

"Hai, Hana-sama! Right away." When he did as she asked, he continued towards his master's room.

_How ever did I dress myself before I had maids to do it for me? _she thought as she continued on her way. _Thank god Toni didn't ask me what I was doing in Vivi-sama's room! Well I guess that it wasn't his place._

That was true, but the real reason that Toni didn't bother to enquire about Hana spending the night in Vivi-sama's room was because he knew that seducing young, innocent women was not on Vivi's habit list. After all he had been with Vivi long enough to know what Vivi would and would not do. Knocking he asked politely, "Vivi-sama, may I come in?"

"Come."

While Toni drew Vivsama's bath, Vivi suddenly said, "Toni, whenever there is a storm brewing, notify me right away."

"Yes, Vivi-sama." Toni then realized that the storm last night had something to do with Hana sleeping in Vivi-sama's room. "Is Hana-sama uncomfortable with storms?"

"Always so sharp, Toni." Vivi said climbing into the hot water as Toni smiled at the compliment.

* * *

Hana insisted, like the day before, on bathing herself much to Helga's mortification. She just couldn't get used to the idea of handmaids seeing her naked and bathing her. Helga did insist on helping her dress though. So once she came out of the bath and put on some underwear of silk and lace, of course, she chose a pair of dark blue jeans and a light white cotton shirt and allowed Helga to help her into her clothing. She then asked Helga to bring her some breakfast in the main living room.

Hana was famished by the time she got there. The living room was deserted except for the maid who stood to one corner ready to wait on her. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that Vivi-sama or Velten was not there. She soon realized that it was quite easy to feel really lonely in such a large house, a house that was not her own. True, she did live alone in her apartment, but at least she had Tsubaki and Momo and all the patients at the clinic. _Oh heaven! My friends must be so worried! I just disappeared! My patients! My job! _

Without bothering to finish her meal, she asked Helga for a telephone. Almost hidden was one near the large bay windows which overlooked the eastern side of the estate. Quickly she dialled the clinic and told them that she needed a few days off because of some personal business that had come up quite unexpectedly, but had to be taken care of immediately. Her superiors understood since, begin a virologist who specialized in classification, she didn't have any terminally ill patients who needed her. She said that she was willing to be on call, but they told her to take two more days to comfortably complete her business before coming back in. Then she called Tsubaki at work. She couldn't tell her what was really going on right now, but she promised to when next they saw each other. "Are you sure you're all right. No one is forcing you into doing anything you don't want to right? You're not in any danger?" Tsubaki kept asking her in different forms, testing whether or not she was indeed perfectly fine.

"Tsubaki I am fine. I am talking to you on the phone, right? Do I sound like I am under any duress?"

"Okay, okay. But you come and see me as soon as you're back in town, right?"

"Of course!" They exchanged a few more words and then she hung up. _Now what am I going to tell Momo? He is always so overprotective! I don't think that I can tell him what has happened over the phone. _Not being able to confide in her friends, being so far away from home and everything she held dear and unable to do anything about it, Hana suddenly became distraught and so very lonely. She began to softly weep. When Helga came back into the sitting room to see if Hana needed anything she found the young woman sitting before the phone her back bent with her head in her hands, sobbing. Not really knowing what to do with a crying human she went to Toni.

Toni rushed over to Hana-sama and placing his hands on her shoulders guided her to one of the sofas. Just then Velten came in and found Hana leaning on Toni in tears. Kneeling in front of them he softly took one of her hands in his and asked her what was wrong. But Hana couldn't put into words what she was feeling. "Toni," Velten said, "get the princess some water. I will try to cheer her up."

When Toni went to the kitchen, Velten took his place next to Hana and pulled her into his arms. Patting her head he told her to let all her feelings out. When Toni returned with the water, he wondered if he should get Vivi-sama. Velten told him not to and that she would be feeling better in a little while. After spending a few minutes listening to Velten pouring relaxing, comforting words into her ears, Hana calmed down and stopped crying. "How about we do something fun, Hana?" he asked as he removed a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped her eyes and cheeks.

"Fun?" she asked weakly.

"How about we go into town? Maybe some shopping?" he suggested.

"Oh no. Vivi-sama has bought so many things for me." She paused and then added, "What I really want to do is go back to my life and my friends."

"I would take you to see them, but Vivi would tear my head off, quite literally."

"Maybe I could ask him to let me go?" she asked softly, mostly to herself. He was pretty nice to me this morning. _Man Vivi-sama confuses me!_ _First he teases me, then gets angry and then he's nice again. Must be a demon thing. _

"I don't know about that, but maybe..." Velten looked down at the woman beside him. He smiled in his head and wondered if this little lady could somehow improve Vivi's outlook on life. _I wonder if she could possibly..._

His thoughts were abruptly cut off when Vivi asked, "Oi! What are you doing here Velten?"

Velten looked up at Vivi and thought he saw envy and tightly controlled anger in his friend's eyes as he looked at them sitting so closely together. It was a long time since he saw that look in the Duke's eyes. _He hasn't looked like that since..._ "She was crying when I got here, Vivi. I was trying to make her feel better."

"Yeah? Well do it from the other side of the room, idiot!" Vivi retorted as he approached them. Velten got up smiling to himself once again thinking, _I'm gonna bet on this girl. She has to be the one! I think I will leave them alone..._

Vivi didn't seem to notice Velten's departure as he concentrated on Hana. "Why were you crying. Did something happen?"

_What a stupid question!_ Hana thought nastily. Then she realized that she was being unfair. Vivi was trying to protect her as best as he could. "Vivi-sama," she took a deep breath, steeling her courage to continue. "I want to see my friends and I want to return to work."

"Hana I know that..."

"No please, Vivi-sama. I have to. I am a doctor and I have patients who depend on me to be in the clinic. I can't give up on them and my friends, and my life. I also do other things in my spare time. I volunteer at a youth community centre where I give singing lessons. I can't just abandon everyone and everything. There are many people who depend on me." She was almost in tears again but she shut her eyes tightly forbidding their escape.

She wasn't completely successful. Vivi watched as one tear escaped and created a pathway down her cheek. Sitting next to her, he gently wiped away the tear with his thumb and when she opened her eyes to see what he was doing he said, "Yes, Hana... you can return home. But I will have to keep watch over you."

"But, Vivi..." she wanted to protest. She wanted to return to her old life. Didn't she? There was a part of her heart that didn't truly agree. If she was honest with herself she would know that this treacherous part of her heart did not want to part with Vivi.

"I will watch over you, for at least a while until I know that you will be safe." He was resolute. There was nothing that Hana could say to change his mind. When Hana told him that she agreed he said, "Don't cry anymore, my flower. Tomorrow, I will escort you to see your friends and then the next day you can return to work. Would that be make you happy?"

Hana looked up at him and gave him the biggest smile that she could. That smile took Vivi back in time to when things were different. When... he couldn't bring himself to think about it. It was the past, long gone, like sand blowing in the wind. It couldn't be recaptured.

She hugged him tightly and said, "Thank you, Vivi-sama." He was surprised by her actions and did not hug her back immediately. Thinking that she did something wrong she pulled back from him. "I'm sorry!" she blurted out.

A smile tugged at the corner of one of Vivi's lips at her innocence and Hana found herself thinking how cute he looked then. "Don't..." He pulled her into a tight hug and said, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"Vivi-sama, may I ask you a question?" When he nodded a yes she inquired, "What happened to you the night we met? Why exactly am I in danger?"

He sighed and said, "That, Hana is a very long story. One that stretches over one hundred years."

"One hundred years?" She asked in disbelief. "_What?... __**How old are you**__?_"

"I will be two hundred soon."

T-two _h-hundred_?" she stammered.

"Yes." Vivi's voice suddenly sounded distant, like he was distracted.

When she overcame her incredulity she asked, "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Yes, but right now we have an unwanted guest. Will you let me tell you later?"

"Unwated guest?"

**NOTE:** I am sorry that this chapter feels a little like filler, but I had to write it to ensure a smooth entry into what is about to happen next. Don't forget to give a review. I really want to know what my readers think.


	7. An Unwanted Guest

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hana to Akuma or the characters therein

**NOTE**: Sending you a THANK YOU for reading my story! And thank you again to masterdestroyer3245 and Nanaga for their second reviews! So obviously I am not doing my homework that I have lots of! But my exam went well so I wanted to be a bum and do something unrelated to school!

**Chapter 7: An Unwanted Guest**

Vivi could sense another demonic presence approaching fast. "Stay here, Hana." Vivi told her as he got up to greet his visitor. _What is going on here? Why are they suddenly coming out in droves? But why send her of all people? _He thought as he made his way towards his study where Velten currently was. "Velten!" he shouted as he opened the door. "You idiot..."

"Yes, I know..." He said in a voice filled with apprehension.

Suddenly a black blur burst through the room's window and took form before the Baron. "Long time no see, Eleanor..." he said shakily. Vivi could swear that his self-proclaimed friend started to sweat.

"What's it been?" she asked, "Fifty years?" she said cheerfully before jumping up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, huged him tightly. "**Velten, I missed you**!"

"Of course, I missed you too." He said anxiously.

"What type of treatment is this?" Vivi demanded, clearly angry. "This is worse than robbery." He added as he watched the hole, where the window had been only two minutes ago, and the broken glass and wood that littered the floor.

"Oh, Vivi! I am sorry." Removing her hands from around Veten's neck and taking hold of his arm instead. "I just saw Velten and unconsciously sped in." she was truly sorry.

Still very annoyed he shouted, "**And you unconsciously destroyed my house!**" groaning he said, "Geeze, you're as crude as always!" Suddenly a thought came to him. Smiling wickedly, Vivi said, "Well, Eleanor, as long as you are here, why don't you and Velten get married? He is your fiancé, right? Take him and get him off my hands will you?"

"Vivi!" Velten screamed in terror.

"That is an excellent idea, Vivi!" Eleanor declared happily. "I want to get married right now." She said to Velten.

"Now, now Eleanor. Let's think about this. The marriage was arranged when we were just children!"

Elaenor hissed and asked, "Do you have something against marrying me?"

"No no! It's not that I have a problem with you." Velten sounded scared. "Umm... yeah, you see... There is another lady I have my heart set on."

Eleanor pulled away from him and stared at him in disbelief. She then frowned so hard that the vein in her forehead looked like it was going to pop out. "**Lies!**" she screamed, "Is marrying me so **BAD**?"

"It's, it's not a lie. I have already promised to marry a human girl." He replied in a desperate voice.

"Oh? I get it. I am going to settle things with this woman." Pointing to the floor Eleanor said "Bring her here within an hour." She spun on her heels and furiously left the room. She went next door and found herself in a large library. Selecting one of the many comfortable looking chairs she sat down heavily. "Velten, that idiot! A human?"

"What am I going to do?" he asked himself holding his head in distress.

"Velten. Take your fiancé and leave." Vivi said coldly, "I am going to see that Hana is all right."

"Hana! I wonder if she would..." he began.

"Don't even think about it, Velten." Vivi warned.

"But Vivi!" he said following his friend who was returning to the main sitting room, "It's not that I hate Eleanor, but rather that I love her equally to all other girls. Right now, I can't only choose one girl."

"Velten, you're getting annoying now. Take your fiancé and leave already!"

When they reached the sitting room and Velten saw Hana he immediately kneeled in front of her. "Hana, please I beg of you... do me a favour!"

"**Oi, Velten... I said NO**!"

"Vivi! Don't you think anything of me being forced into a marriage I don't want?"

"Marraige?" Hana asked. "What's going on, Velten?" she asked concerned. Velten almost looked like he was about to cry. She didn't know if to comfort him or just laugh outright.

"Actually, I think that it would be nice if you quieted down and stopped staying in my house." Vivi responded.

Velten gasped and turning to Hana said, "Hana, princess. You wouldn't want me to get married would you?"

Vivi rolled his eyes but said nothing. "If it cured your womanizing ways," she smiled teasingly, "then I am not going to stop the wedding."

"Hana!" he gasped. "You were my last hope." He began to cry.

Stifling laughter at his theatrics, Hana said, "Tell me what's wrong Velten and I will do what I can to help."

After he related to her what just happened in the study, he asked, "Hana.... would you please act as my girlfriend? Just for a little while?"

"Velten... I..."

"**Please???"**

Hana couldn't turn down such an earnest plea for help. "Alright! I'll do it!"

Vivi couldn't believe his ears. "Hana, you say that because you don't know what he was like. I will tell you what he did fifty years ago."

* * *

The two nobles were sitting out in one of Vivi's main house's many porches having tea when Velten suddenly said, "Vivi, in this world there are still many girls I do not know."

Ignoring such an idiotic statement, Vivi asked, "More importantly, why are you in my house every day?"

"That's because I am your best friend."

"Oi!" Vivi protested. "Who's my best friend?"

"Anyway, thinking about it... it's a waste to stay this way."

Suddenly Claus burst in on them and asked breathlessly, "Hey! Are you here Velten?"

"Oh great!" Vivi said in an exhausted voice. "Another annoying one!"

"Is it true?" Claus questioned Velten. "Is it true that you hit on the elders' granddaughters one after the other and got demoted from a Count to a Baron?"

Velten laughed out loud and said, "You heard. Oops, I was found out!"

"This is no laughing matter, Velten!" Claus could not believe what he was hearing. "This has never happened in all of history, moron!"

"I'm glad that I wasn't stripped of all rank!"

Suddenly addressing Vivi again he said, "Vivi, I have decided to journey throughout the demon world... No, all the way to even Earth seeking out all the girls I haven't met yet."

"Hang on a sec!" Claus said, "What about Eleanor? She is already upset over what just happened."

"Oh, Claus, you explain to her."

"What? No! I don't want to be killed!" he shrieked in horror.

Spreading his wings, Velten told them just before taking off, "Well, I'm going home to prepare for my journey. I'll be seeing you guys."

* * *

"After about fifty years passed, he finally went home and was captured by the elders and then he was sent here after me." Vivi finished his story and asked Hana, "So what do you think? He's an idiot right?"

"Vivi! What's with that comment?"

"Velten, that was not a very smart thing to do." Hana said, but she had already made up her mind. "I will do as you ask. Although I don't approve of you loving every girl who comes your way, I don't want you to resign yourself to a loveless marriage. And even if you do, I don't think that you would be especially faithful to Eleanor anyway. Besides, you helped me when I was crying this morning."

"Oh, Hana, my princess!" Velten said gently holding her hands in his. "**THANK YOU!"**

"**Fine! Do whatever you want!" **Vivi sounded very displeased.

"Vivi-sama, I ..." Hana wanted to apologize but Vivi didn't allow her to.

Instead he said, "If that is your decision, Hana, I won't interfere."

"Velten, give me a few minutes and I will be ready." Hurrying to her room Hana wondered if she was doing the right thing. Shaking off her misgivings, she summoned a maid and got ready to play her part.

When Hana returned to the sitting room she found a Velten being held up by his scruff by a woman dressed in a black dress with white frills at the bottom. "I knew it!" she was saying, "You were lying about having a girlfriend, weren't you?"

"No he was not lying." Hana said smoothly. "I am his girlfriend. My name is Hana. Pleased to meet you."

They all looked over to see Hana dressed in a long, flowing, white gown that despite not being fitted softly outlined the contours of her body. It had a cold shoulder design and a low cut back. A thick single strap went over her right shoulder and split into two pieces of fabric on her back in an X design. Her hair was loose and fell heavily down her back to almost her waist. In her hair, she wore a large single lily. The outfit was completed with pearl earrings, a single pearl bracelet, and white high-heeled shoes. She was completely made up and looked like a beautiful angel to the room full of demons.

She approached Velten who went to greet her. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders he said, "Eleanor, this is the girl I have my heart set on."

"What? I love Velten more than you do!" she told Hana trying to sound as firm as she could, but inside Eleanor's heart was breaking. _By Lucifer-sama! This woman is so beautiful!_ She thought to herself. _I could never compete with that. _

"I love Velten too!" Hana asserted. Pulling on Velten's arm, so she could reach his face, she promptly kissed him on the cheek. No one noticed Vivi who began to emit a fierce black aura.

"Ahhh, Hana." He smiled, "Then I shall give you one in return." He bent down and was about to kiss her when suddenly...

"Do that," a voiced boomed, "and I shall kill you, Velten."

"Vivi... I thought you said..."

"I changed my mind." He stated flatly. "Oi, Eleanor, that girl..."

But Hana was too fast for him, quickly covering his lips with her finger. "Vivi-sama, please don't. I want to do this."

As Vivi looked down at her, the buzzing in his chest started again. Their faces were so close that if he just leaned a little he could... Getting agitated he angrily removed her hand and asked, "Why? It's fine whatever happens to that idiot."

But Hana's expression told him that it wasn't fine. She became deadly serious and her voice was laced with a harshness that did not quite suit her. "I decided to protect Velten, Vivi-sama. Please do not interfere." For a second, Vivi was rendered speechless. Not only because of the determination in her voice but by the vision of beauty she had presented. He was also puzzled that he actually thought about kissing her. When he saw her give Velten a kiss he became so enraged. _She is mine. __**Mine dammit! No other man is going to have her. **__What's with this possessiveness? I haven't felt this since..._

She turned away from him and went to Velten's side. As Vivi fought to control his feelings and arrange his thoughts so that they made sense, he heard them say in unison, "The two of us love each other."

"What the hell?" Eleanor was beside herself. "Do you really love this human?"

"Yes, of course. Right Hana?" He asked as he hugged her tightly.

"Yes, Velten." She replied.

"**Velten, I don't know you anymore!"** Eleanor screamed as she backed up into and through another window spreading her wings, she blurred out of their sights.

"So she destroyed this place too?" Vivi asked as his anger rose to such a level that near the base of his jaw started to pulsate.

"It would be nice, if she just gave up, but it seems that she is still somewhere in the mansion." Velten said in a defeated voice.

Hana went over to Vivi and said, "I'm sorry, Vivi-sama, but I..."

She didn't get to finish her sentence as Vivi put up his hand and said, "Hana... stay away from me. I have this intense buzzing in my chest that I never felt before I met you. Until you two give up this stupid charade don't come near me!" _Why am I getting so worked up?_

"Buzzing?" she asked meekly. She didn't know why, but his rejection hurt. _Why do I feel hurt? I only met him a few days ago! _

"Vivi!" Velten was aghast, "you can't say things like that to a lady!"

As he left them he said, "Velten, get Eleanor and the two of you LEAVE right now!"

"Vivi! Why are you always this cruel?"

"Toni!" he roared. When his butler came he said, "Put this room back the way it was."

"That's not possible, Vivi-sama."

Hana was still feeling bad from Vivi's treatment so she told Velten that she was going out into the gardens for a walk. There she met Eleanor, sitting between two rows of flowers holding on to her knees and crying into them. "Eleanor..." Hana breathed out softly.

"What do you want?" the demoness asked her roughly. "You already stole my fiancé away. Did you come out here to laugh in my face?"

Smiling weakly, Hana said in a soft voice, "No Eleanor, I would never..." Then she thought about what she and Velten were doing to this woman.

"You're so beautiful, Hana. You really are like a flower. I saw the flowers here and I tried to touch them, but they withered and died. It's just like everything else I put my hands on. Vivi is right. I am just as crude as always!"

Hana saw a plethora of dead petals lying around as if they were burnt. _Did she do this by touching them? _"Eleanor, I..."

"I can see why Velten prefers you. You even have blue eyes and blond hair like he does." Wiping her cheeks Eleanor continued, "My black hair and brown eyes are so common in the Demon World. I could never capture Velten's fancy. He has never loved me, you know. I am just an uncute girl who always dreamed about marrying Velten! I guess... I should just give up."

"Eleanor, you're not uncute. I am the only ugly one here. I didn't think, not for a second, what your feelings were and I claimed Velten as my own." Sitting next to Eleanor she said, "There is something I need to tell you and I think that I know how to work on your problem."

* * *

Vivi retreated into his room and tried to read, but couldn't stop thinking about Hana. _Didn't I tell her that I would try to be more patient with her? But what is this feeling I get in my chest when she is close to me? Why do I want her to look at me and no one else? Why does she stir me up like this?_ A million other thoughts coursed through his head, but all concerned Hana in one way or the other. Then he thought he heard a giggling and a swishing sound. _Must be the maids. I think that I should return to the sitting room and make sure Velten doesn't try anything stupid. That IDIOT! _

When he arrived he found Velten and Toni staring at the two women standing in front of them. Silently he went around the women to get a better look at what the two fools were gawking at. There was Hana, dressed in a casual shirt and jeans but it seemed that Eleanor had changed.

She wore a long, fitted, crimson gown that hugged her body like a lover's hand. Below the sweet-heart neck her breasts swelled out lusciously, and her small waist and shapely hips were deliciously outlined. As she approached them the slit in the dress parted to reveal quite a bit of leg. Her hair fell down her back in lusxurious curls and she was fully made up. She wore hanging ruby earrings and a ruby bracelet and red shoes with killer heels.

Both Velten and Toni got nose bleeds. "E-Eleanor?" Velten stuttered. "Is that you?"

"Of course it is you idiot!" she said smiling.

"What happened to you? You're not like before." He said as he circled around her taking his time looking her over. _When did Eleanor become so beautiful? If other demons saw her like this_. _No!_ He shook his head... he couldn't think like that... But was this his little Eleanor?

Eleanor blushed hotly. Velten had never looked at her like that before. She liked it!

Hana grabbed Toni's hand and whispering to Vivi that they should leave the engaged couple alone, the three of them left.

"Hana told me everything and I have decided to stay here on Earth with you until you decide to return to the Demon World. She decided to be bold, and asked, "Like what you see huh, Baron?"

"Umm..." He did, actually, but he knew that he shouldn't_. Not Eleanor! I couldn't do that to her! She doesn't understand that me wanting her is wrong. I shouldn't want her!_ Grabbing her by the shoulders he blurted out, "Eleanor! You shouldn't dress like that!"

"What?" she was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I meant what I said. The Eleanor I know would never wear anything so... so alluring!"

"Oh,I see!" Eleanor didn't know that her heart could break twice in one day. "I am only fit to be an ugly little girl aren't I?"

"Eleanor, that isn't what I said... I simply think that..."

"No! I don't care what you think! It's okay for other women to look sexy, but not me." She began to cry. "What am I to you, Velten? Just some ugly, unwanted baggage?"

Velten couldn't bear to see Eleanor in tears. Hugging her abruptly he said, "You're not ugly, Eleanor. You are very beautiful. I just... I just don't want anyone else to see you like this because I am afraid that they might take you away from me." There he said it! But that wasn't the only reason. There was another reason that he could not bring himself to admit.

"Velten?" For the first time in her life, Velten was being possessive of her. Reaching up she pulled his face down to his and kissed him deeply. Velten didn't expect that, but he kissed her back eagerly. "That's the first time you kissed me like that, Velten." she whispered, breathless from the kiss.

Velten smiled. _She noticed_..."Well, that's the first time you wore something so sexy, Eleanor!" he joked.

"You pi..!" But she never got to finish because he silenced her with another kiss.

A short while after, Eleanor went to find Hana and told her that she was indeed staying with Velten. Hana was genuinely happy for Eleanor, but the demoness thought that the girl looked a little depressed. When she asked her about it Hana said, "Vivi told me to stay away from him."

_So what? _Eleanor asked herself_... The Lethagic Vivi-sama... He's always so gloomy!_ but seeing that Hana was disturbed she asked Hana to tell her what was going on. _What was a human doing here anyway? _

Hana complied. Tsubaki wasn't here, but she felt like she just made a really good friend in Eleanor who was no longer an unwanted guest.


	8. The Two Dear to Me

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hana to Akuma or the characters therein

**NOTE: **_Thank you for tuning in again and it's FRIDAY!!!!_

**Chapter 8: The Two Dear to Me **

As Hana looked at herself in the mirror she cringed at the dark circles under her eyes. After talking to Eleanor, she found that she had trouble sleeping because she was worrying about what Vivi-sama had said to her. "Stay away from me!" His voice was so vehement that she was afraid to approach him. But because he had told her that he would take her to see her friends today, she had no choice but to face him and ask him whether or not he intended to keep his word. With a heavy heart Hana stepped into the shower.

It was still quite early when she emerged from her closet fully dressed. It seemed that Vivi liked sleeping until early afternoon, but she couldn't wait that long. She needed to get away from here and rid herself of the feelings she was developing for the demon. It was disconcerting and confusing and she anxiously wanted to return to the way things were before she met him. She convinced herself that once she went back home, things would fall back into place and she would not have to deal with Vivi, any other demons, but most importantly fear and hurt feelings.

She summoned a maid, told her that she wanted breakfast and to see Toni. She was lead into the dining room, where breakfast was being served. To her surprise Vivi-sama, Velten and Eleanor were already there having tea and waiting for her arrival.

"Oh, Hana-hime!" Velten chirped, "There you are."

"Good morning, everyone." She tried to sound happy.

"Good morning, Hana!" Eleanor smiled. "Are you feeling better this morning?" she asked quietly when Hana took the seat next to her. Vivi quickly glanced at Hana when he heard the question, but said nothing. Hana kept stealing glances at the dark-haired duke, but he never looked at her again. In fact he seemed detached from his surroundings and deep in thought.

_I can't wait to leave here_, Hana thought, becoming slightly upset by Vivi's indifference. Eleanor and Velten chatted with her while they had breakfast, but Vivi was eerily silent. _So he's still in a bad mood! _Hana realized silently.

When breakfast was over, Eleanor announced that she felt like taking a walk in the garden and that she wanted Velten to accompany her. He realized that she wanted to leave Hana and Vivi alone so he did as she asked. Hana wanted to talk to Vivi about seeing her friends, but his silence during the meal frightened her. _I should just leave. He doesn't seem to want to forgive me for helping Velten or that buzzing thing he mentioned. I don't get it. _She suddenly became angry._ Who does he think he is? Doesn't he realize that I didn't want to be here in the first place or be a burden to him? I guess now I am the unwanted guest._ Her anger gave her the strength she needed and she continued on her train of thought_. Well in that case since I am unwanted, I will just have to say… _

But the words died on her tongue as Vivi said in a frigid voice, "I think it best if you returned to your friends." Hana looked up at him then to see him staring hard at her with emotionless eyes.

Hana felt a chill run up her spine. She didn't like how dead his eyes looked or the tone of his voice. It filled her with a foreboding feeling. It seemed like he wanted nothing to do with her. He wanted her gone. That is what she wanted, right? "Yes…"

He stood up, but his shoulders seemed slumped. "I will have Toni take you home." His face looked pale and Hana could hear the exhaustion in his voice. Was he not coming with her? He said that he would escort her and protect her for a while. Slowly, like it took too much effort, he walked over to the window and peered out. _Is he ill?_ She never saw him move so sluggishly except for the night she met him when he was wounded so badly. Just the memory of that injury made her tremble.

"Vivi-sama," she swallowed nervously as that foreboding feeling took hold of her again, "Are you feeling unwell? Yesterday you said…"

He looked at her again with those soulless eyes and asked, "Worried about me again, my little flower?" This time his voice lacked the amusement it carried the last time he asked her that question. Instead it was as cold as ice.

Hana felt rejected and it saddened her. But unexpectedly she also felt guilty. _Why is he like this? I must have done something wrong! I must have wronged him in some way_. "I'm sorry, Vivi-sama. I'm sorry that I was a burden to you. I'm sorry that I disobeyed you and I am sorry that I caused that buzzing thing." By the time she finished all those apologies she was breathless. It seemed that she forgot to breathe between sentences, and when she finally sucked in the much needed air, instead of breathing out calmly, she found herself in tears. "I- I am so, so very sorry, Vivi-sama." She apologized again between sobs. "I never meant to…" What was it that she did not want to do? She became confused again. What was she really sorry for? And why was she so upset over him taking her home? _Oh, I see…_ "I never meant to make you unhappy. Although I don't know how I could displease you so… I just wanted to help Velten, that's all. I never wanted to…" she couldn't speak anymore because she was about to completely break down. Turning away from him she ran away from him. She ran out of the castle into the avenue that led away from that place.

_I really am a demon!_ Vivi thought as he watched her go.

Hana ran as fast as she could. She needed to get away. Get away from the hurt feelings and rejection and to put some distance between herself and Vivi. She hurt him too. That buzzing must have made him feel really uncomfortable for him to be so adamant about making her stay away from him. _Doesn't he want to protect me anymore? I see now… He no longer cares what happens to me._ She didn't know why Vivi was acting like that but she thought that it would be best to remove herself from him. _Things will go back to normal…_ she told herself, once we go our separate ways. _Then why do I feel like someone is painfully gripping my heart? Why does it hurt to leave him?_

Tears blinded her way, but she didn't care. She heard the crunch of the pebbles beneath her feet as she continued on. _If I could just make it to a town and get in touch with Momo…_ Suddenly a large jet-black bird swooped down and blocked her way. Hana screamed and stopped so abruptly that she skidded on the gravel road and fell on her rump. _What is that?_ Opening its beak wide and spreading its wings, it cawed at her loudly as it approached her. Becoming terrified and expecting the worst, she placed her arms in front of her face in the attempt to protect herself. She could hear its huge talons scraping against the stones and then "Hana…" someone called to her softly. It was…

"Vivi-sama?" carefully she lowered her arms. There standing in front of her was the demon she just ran away from. Looking around her, she saw that the bird disappeared. "What…?"

"I…" He didn't know what to say. He just knelt down in front of her and wrapping his arms around her body, crushed her against him. The buzzing in his chest started again. It was so loud that it began to hurt his ears. It drowned out all other sounds and it seemed that it took his reason with it as well. Parting from her a little he used one hand to cup her cheek and tilted her head up a little.

"Vivi-sama… What are you…?" she asked as his head descended towards hers. Hana felt her heart start to beat frantically in her chest and then his lips were against hers. Gently he moved his lips in a chaste kiss. Hana was too shocked to pull away or to respond. He tightened his hold on her and she felt his tongue trace the seam of the lips. Surprised, by his actions Hana gasped but her gentle sound was lost as he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. Taking his time, Vivi explored her mouth. When his tongue brushed up against hers Hana experienced a jolt of pleasure. She lost her ability to think and she could hear nothing but the thundering of her heart. She moaned and her body melted into his. That sound spurred Vivi on as his kiss suddenly became more urgent. He taught her how wicked a demon could be as his tongue danced against hers, teasing her into responding. He could tell that Hana did not have much experience but he smiled to himself as she tried to mimic his movements and kiss him back. She moaned again and her kisses suddenly became hard and desperate. Before he completely lost his head, Vivi slowly toned down his kisses and stealing one last taste from her lips slowly parted from her.

Hana groaned unhappily at the loss in contact and her eyes fluttered open. Then she realized that something outrageous happened. She had just… just… kissed a demon… French kissed a demon! She immediately turned red and she tried to hide her face from him by burying it in his chest. Only then did she realize that his heart was beating just as hard as hers was. "Hana…" Vivi said, his voice as smooth as wine and heavy with pleasure. "I… I'm sorry that I made you cry." Hana could not speak yet. She could not get over the fact that she had just kissed Vivi-sama. He stood up, taking her with him. He kept his arms wrapped loosely around her body. When she did not respond he said, "I will take you to see your friends, but once you're done, you have to come back to my manor." Her silence was disturbing so Vivi asked, "Hana? Are you alright?" _Did I go too far? I didn't mean to kiss her, I just…_

"Vivi-sama," she whispered, "I don't understand. I thought that you wanted me to leave."

"I thought that it would be best if you did, but when I saw you run away…" he could not put the rest into words. The great Duke Vivi could not bring himself to utter the words that described how completely wretched he felt when he saw Hana run away. He never talked about his feelings after that day when... There was only duty. _Isn't that why you left in the first place?_ His conscious asked him nastily. "At first I thought that it would be best if I pushed you away, but I was wrong."

"Vivi-sama…" but Hana still did not understand. "You were so angry with me yesterday and earlier this morning."

"I was not angry with you, Hana."

"But you told me to stay away from you." She insisted. "Does the buzzing hurt you?"

He thought about it, but although it made him feel uncomfortable and agitated it did not actually hurt him. It did confuse him though, and his reaction to Hana scared the hell out of him. Why was he compelled to kiss her? "The buzzing doesn't hurt me, but it is something that I have never dealt with before. It is very strange and somewhat bewildering."

"Then maybe it is best that I leave." Hana sounded contrite as her heart sank.

"I would rather deal with the buzzing than let you leave, my little flower."

His words made her heart soar a little and she felt like giggling. "Vivi-sama, could I ask you something else?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Why… why did you kiss me just now?"

That stumped him. Yes, he admitted to himself last night that he was attracted to her, but he had been attracted to women before and not acted on it. Of course, he never required any of them to stay in his house before, but…

"**HANA!**" someone shouted. They turned around at the loud voice. There standing about two hundred meters away was a tall, slim young man with black hair. "Get away from him. Do you have any idea what he is? **He is evil!**"

"Momo?" Hana couldn't believe her eyes. "Oh, Momo!" she cried as pulled out of Vivi's arms and raced over to him. "What are you doing here?" she hugged him tightly.

"I came looking for you." He said as he pulled her behind him intentionally making a wall between her and the evil man.

"Hey, brat! What do you think you're doing?" Vivi asked in an irritated voice. Not only did Hana rush over to some other man and hugged him, but the man touched her too.

"**Silence you demon!**" Momo yelled.

That was like a slap in Vivi's face. _How did that brat know?_ A wicked smile crossed Vivi's face as a thought crossed his mind. A though that involved that kid's demise.

"Eh?" Hana asked. "Momo, how do you know?"

"You forget that I am the son of a pastor. His aura is so dark that I can practically see it." He informed her.

"Then you know what has to happen to you since you know what I am, right brat?" Vivi's voice was threatening as he smiled maniacally.

"Just come and try it, demon." Momo taunted.

"Momo, no!" She pulled on his sleeve. "He really is a demon!" Hana said in desperation.

"I know, Hana. I won't let him lay a finger on you again, Hana."

Vivi's eyes turned red and his nails grew into claws. Hana saw that his fangs had lengthened as he said, "I'll teach you, child, what happens when you mess with what is mine!"

"Vivi-sama, please don't!" Hana pleaded urgently as she moved in front of Momo, her arms spread out wide. "Momo is my friend."

"Hana get out of the way!" Momo shouted. "Demons don't care about humans! Besides, I can take him. I have slain demons before"

_Slain demons before? What the hell? _Vivi thought that he must have misheard what the punk said.

"NO!" Hana screamed. "I won't have two people who are dear to me fight!"

"Dear to you?" The two men asked in unison in incredulous voices.

But Hana was firm, "Yes! Dear to me."

"Hana, why are you protecting that demon? He kidnapped you, didn't he?" Momo demanded angrily.

"No Momo, he protected me. And his name is Duke Vivi."

"Duke Vivi? He protected you?" Momo did not sound convinced. "What in all of heaven happened?"

Hana didn't know quite what to say to that. After all, she didn't know all the details herself.

**NOTE: Please comment! **


	9. A Glimpse into Vivi's Past

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hana to Akuma or the characters therein

**NOTE: **_Thank you for reading. Special thanks to Masterdestroyer3245and Summerjun for submitting reviews! Your words are very encouraging! _3

**Chapter 9: A Glimpse Into Vivi's Past **

Hana's declaration that she cared for both men seemed to have calmed them down. She watched carefully as Vivi-sama's eyes returned to their coal black colour while his fangs and nails receded to their normal lengths. "Momo, how did you find me?"

"Hana never mind that, please tell me what is going on here."

"Well, there have been lots of demons showing up and Vivi-sama has been protecting me against them."

"Hana," Momo said exasperatedly, "do you realize that he is the reason the demons are showing up in the first place?"

"Ummm..." Hana looked towards Vivi. "Vivi-sama, you were supposed to tell me what was going on. Will you explain the situation to Momo and me?"

Vivi was still annoyed that Hana admitted that this Momo was dear to her. "Why should I explain anything to this annoying brat?"

"Please, Vivi-sama. He already knows that you are a demon. Besides, I trust Momo with my life. We have been friends since I can remember."

That did not make Vivi feel any better about having the stupid punk here. But he did it for Hana. _Wouldn't Old Geezer laugh if he could see me now? The Great Duke Vivi allowing a little human female to wrap him around her little finger. _"Let us return to the manor. I will tell you there."

Vivi uttered a string of strange words and the large black bird Hana saw before alighted right next to him. Hana was about to scream again when she saw that the bird seemed to bow his head before the Duke. "Hana, come here." Vivi commanded.

She hesitated, "Vivi... that bird almost..."

"Avi Umbra will not harm you, Hana." Vivi said.

"Hana," Momo advised, "that thing is not of this world. It is from hell. Don't go near it."

But Hana trusted Vivi. "It will be alright, Momo. Vivi-sama will never hurt me."

Momo was about to disagree when Hana approached Vivi and the bird that was as tall as he was. Now that she was no longer afraid she realized that the creature was really stunning. Despite the terrifying looking talons, its black feathers were shining in the morning sun. It had a long beautiful tail that tapered out on both sides and a high crown of black feathers on its head that tapered at the back of its head ending in a lavish curl. Its beak was shaped like a raven's and looked like it was polished until it gleamed. She watched as the bird's eyes, which sparkled like black diamonds, followed her movements. When she came to Vivi's side, he removed a black ring from his pocket and taking her hand, slipped it on her left pointing finger. Hana blushed. _Two fingers over and it would have been like getting engaged_. She smiled at the thought and when Vivi asked what she was smiling about, she told him nothing. _What a weird woman!_ Vivi said to himself. "Hana, this ring will allow you to have full control over my Avi Umbra or Bird of Shadow."

"Bird of Shadow?"

"Yes. I summoned him to be your guard when I am unable to be with you. His strength is proportional to my own so that any demon ranked lower than me will find it difficult to defeat him. As long as you wear that ring he will be under your command. He also has the ability to change his size to become less conspicuous for when you visit home."

"Wait a minute! Visit home?" Momo interrupted.

"Yes, Hana lives in my monor now."

"What?" Momo was beside himself, "Don't mess with me! Furthermore, are you going to allow a beast from hell to watch over Hana? Aren't you worried that it might attack her?"

Turning to the young man, Vivi retorted crossly, "As I was about to say, Avi is born of my shadow. More accurately, born of me." Turning back to Hana he continued, "He will not attack you or anyone else, human and demon alike, unless you command him to do so, Hana."

Hana was speechless. Vivi-sama had just given her a giant, gorgeous bird as a present. It was beyond her to think of the bird as just a guard. "Umm... Vivi-sama?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Can I call him, Mr. Bird, instead?"

Vivi found himself stifling a laugh. _What a stupid and childish name!_ "You may call him anything you want. He is yours."

Hana giggled and cautiously approaching the bird that tuned to her and bowed. When it raised its head Hana slowly reached out and stoke its crown of feathers. They were surprisingly soft. "Hello, Mr. Bird." It looked at and cawed in response. "I think he likes the name." She said smiling to Vivi.

Both Vivi and Momo rolled their eyes at her silly behaviour. "Give Avi a command, Hana." Vivi said.

"What should I tell him to do?" Hana couldn't think of anything.

"Anything you want."

"Hmmm... Mr. Bird, how about you go and fly around and eat and do whatever makes you happy until I call on you again?"

Vivi sighed. She wanted his shadow beast to be happy? _Ridiculous girl! _He thought but he was smiling at her antics."Hana tell him to reduce his size so that he won't stand out to much."

"Mr. Bird, do as Vivi-sama said."

Instantly Mr. Bird shrank in size to about that of a Raven. "WOW!" Hana was impressed. "Go on now; go mingle with other birds until I call for you. And behave yourself, Mr. Bird!" Hana commanded. She watched as the bird took flight and entered the forest that surrounded the castle.

* * *

After Toni let the trio in, Momo refused to sit in the main living room. There was no way, he claimed, that he would make himself comfortable in a demon's residence. Also, much to Vivi's displeasure, he would not leave Hana's side. Vivi swore under his breath and then added silently, _Hell... he's like a loyal guard dog._ _For the entire walk back_ _he wouldn't even let me get close to her._ Vivi soon realized that it would be best if he kept his distance from the young man. The last thing he wanted to do was loose his already thinly stretched patience and injure or kill Hana's friend. The last thing he wanted was for Hana to witness what a demon he could really be.

Velten and Eleanor came in a few minutes later and Hana introduced them to her friend. Momo visibly put his guard up and Velten commented, "There is no need to be so cautious of us. We mean you no harm."

"You say that because you didn't see him," he indicated Vivi, "try to kill me just now." Momo said grudgingly.

The blonde smiled and mischievously said, "That probably because you got too close to Hana-hime."

"This place is a demon haven." Momo continued, ignoring Velten's jibe. "How many high-level demons reside here?

"You sure know a lot about demons, Momo." Hana said surprised.

"I read a lot you know!" He sounded offended.

"Don't give me that rubbish!" Vivi snapped. "Only angles and other demons can sense a high ranking demon such as myself. Once I hide my aura, there are very few, if any humans, who can see me for what I really am."

"I have been able to sense the presence of demons since I was a small child." Momo declared. "It is a special gift."

"Oh?" Vivi was unconvinced. What else can you do, I wonder? Can you also see into the future?" Vivi asked sarcastically.

"Sometimes, yes." Momo answered. "But that is not where my talents lie."

Although he did not show it, Vivi was shocked by Momo's words. He did not expect the young man to even answer the question, but he could tell that there was no deceit in what he said. _How unusual. I have to be careful of this one!_ "This sense that you have.... Is that how you were able to find me?"

"Yes. Now can you please tell us what is going on?" Momo sounded impatient.

_Fine, I will leave my questions for you... for now._ "Thirty years ago, there was an uprising in the Demon World that quickly turned into a civil war. It fact those loyal to Ol..." Vivi cleared his throat. "Lucifer-sama, were outnumbered by the rebels. However, the King's forces were superior in strength because he had most of the nobles behind him."

"Nobles like you?" Momo asked.

"Yes... well it nevertheless was a terrible war. There were a tremendous number of casualties on each side." Vivi paused, talking about this made old memories resurface. Memories that he would rather have stay buried. "The struggle lasted three years, but after one particularly horrible battle, Lucifer-sama came out victorious." He did not want to tell them that he was responsible for the victory. The acts he committed were too heinous for him to talk of, especially to Hana.

"Vivi-sama were you hurt?" Hana asked him with doe-like eyes full of concern.

_If only you knew how badly I was!_ "Yes, I was... so too were demons who were especially close to me." _Ahh... Cassandra. I have not thought of your name for so many years! I am sorry that I buried your memory so deeply. Loosing you hurt so much. When you were killed I went insane. The things I did out of vengeance..._ Vivi could not let his mind stray further into the past. It was too painful. It was all too... "By the time the war ended, I became so disgusted with the Demon World and the crimes committed during that war that I left. I have been on Earth ever since." He did not admit that it was the crimes he committed that he was most revolted by.

"And now they want you to return?" Momo wondered out loud. His voice lost its edge it had earlier. _Maybe this demon isn't as bad as I first thought. Before now there hasn't been any demonic activity worth mentioning. _

_Hmmm... this brat is sharper than I thought! _"Yes, for some reason recently Lucifer-sama has been sending minions to force me to return. I have no idea why he has suddenly become so interested in me again."

"You are, after all, a high ranking demon. Maybe the threat of another upheaval is at hand."

Vivi pondered Momo's suggestion carefully. "Yes, that may be true. But Lucifer-sama's forces were greatly weakened by the last revolt. If another civil war occurs he may be overthrown."

"And that is exactly why he wants you back." Hana suddenly said.

"Yes, that is one possibility." Vivi smiled at her quick grasp of the situation. _So you are not always a block head. _

"Vivi-sama... maybe you should find out what the Demon King wants." Hana recommended.

"No!" Vivi said violently. "That Old Geezer knows that I have lost my thirst for fighting. Not that I had much to begin with. I only joined the battle because as a member of his direct line, my family and I were considered enemies by the rebels. And that was the single biggest mistake I have made in my entire life! I will not take up arms again. I care not what happens to him or the Demon World."

"But that is where you were born... How could you not care what happens to it?" It was beyond Hana to think that anyone could hate where they came from.

"Because I lost everything that meant anything to me!" Vivi replied forcefully. "Whatever little I had left I brought here to Earth with me, when I turned my back on my _home world_."He vehemently spited out the last two words. Feeling memories of despair and abandon threatening to overshadow him, Vivi wanted to get away from the topic. But he was saved when Hana, who noticed the sorrow in his eyes, said softly,

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Don't apologize, Hana. It is not your fault." Smiling sadly, he inquired, "Didn't you want to return home and see the rest of your friends?"

"Yes, but..."

Vivi cut her protest off. "Shall we do that instead of speaking about my depressing history?" He had no wish to let them delve further into his past. When she nodded in agreement he said, "Then let us be off." He turned to give his butler an order when he saw him, Velten and Eleanor looking at him, their eyes filled with sadness and regret. Both Eleanor and Toni were at home in the Demon World during the war. Even Eleanor had fought alongside her father and brother. Velten was on Earth already, but no doubt he had heard what happened to Vivi. Looking away from them he commanded, "Toni, bring the car around."

* * *

Velten and Eleanor decided to stay back at the manor since they wanted to go into the nearby town to look at houses and properties. They thought it best not to abuse Vivi's hospitality further. "Who's being hospitable to you?" Vivi asked brusquely. "I told you two many times to leave." Velten laughed at Vivi's outburst. He was quite happy that his friend's ill feelings which were brought up by the memories he spoke of this morning seemed to have gone away.

Toni brought out a six passenger Rolls Royce out to the front of the mansion and opened the doors for the waiting passengers. "You have lots of expensive things, Vivi-sama" Hana, who was allowed in first, said cheerfully. Throwing away any good manners that should be shown to a guest, Vivi entered next, ahead of Momo, taking the seat next to her. _Vivi-sama can be so immature sometimes_ though Toni. Truth be told, the Duke did not care for Momo's presence in the least, but was forced to tolerate it because Hana wanted Momo with her.

Momo was annoyed, that Vivi sat next to Hana but said nothing as he took the seat across from them. _I can keep a better eye on him this way_ he thought. He was, however, amazed that Hana wound her arm around Vivi's. Vivi smiled tenderly down at her in response. Looking away, not sure if he was feeling jealous or not, Momo concentrated on the passing tree and houses as they made their way to Hana's apartment.

Hana was anxious to see Tsubaki so she did not spend too much time in her apartment. Vivi had bought so many new clothes that she only took a few pieces that she could not bear to part with, from her own collection along with her favourite perfumes and other toiletries. Thinking fast she thought about what she would require at her new home. Hana smiled as she reached for her laptop, a small CD player and her music CDs. _How quickly Vivi-sama's manor became my home_. Deep in her heart she knew that wherever Vivi was would be her home. Before she picked up the items she would need to continue teaching her students at the community centre she asked the dark-haired lord whether or not she would be allowed to continue going to there. When he gave her a positive reply, she hurriedly gathered all her song books, sheet music and her metronome.

Momo noticed that Vivi's eyes followed Hana everywhere she went. He had to admit that the demon was acting a little lovestruck. When Hana went over to a corner of her living room, Vivi realized that had not notice the small piano tucked away there when he previously entered her home. _So she is musically inclined..._ It had been a while since he listened or even wished to listen to music. Maybe he would again soon. "Hana," he said. When she looked at him he continued, "Would you like to have a grand piano?"

"Ahh... I would love one," she shrugged. "but they are terribly expensive. I am still paying off student loans."

"Who do you think you are addressing, young lady?" Vivi questioned, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

Hana had to admit that she liked when his eyes came alive with emotion like that, but she would have to turn him down. "No, Vivi-sama, you mustn't. You have already spent so much money on me!"

"As you wish, my little flower." Vivi replied. Momo observed this little exchange silently. His eyes narrowing at Vivi's use of the endearment, my little flower.

Toni packed the few items she wanted into the trunk of the car and then they were off to visit Tsubaki. It was still early, so she had to go where Tsubaki worked.

* * *

Tsubaki worked at an elementary school not far away from their apartment building. It was lunch time, so that the three visitors would have to pass through throngs of playing children to get to the staff room. However, when the children saw Vivi approach, they seemed to sense the dark atmosphere surrounding him and falling silent, quickly parted for him to proceed to the school building. "Looks like small children can also tell that there is something evil about you, Vivi!" Momo said in an amused voice.

"Don't use my name so loosely, brat!" Vivi said vehemently, annoyed that Momo was right. He knew that small children and some animals were more sensitive to him, but he did not wish for Hana to realize this too.

"You don't expect me to use honorifics with you, right?" Momo was incredulous. "You are no lord to me."

"I am the only Lord here." Vivi said smartly.

"The only Lord I answer to is the God of the Angels."

"Hmph! Really?" Vivi fought the desire to roll his eyes.

"Come on guys, no fighting!" Hana said.

Tsubaki was overjoyed to see Hana. Absently greeting Momo, she grabbed Hana roughly pulling her into a tight hug. Once she was satisfied that Hana was unhurt, she wasted no time in pulling Hana aside and mercilessly teasing her about the man she came in with. She loved the way Hana blushed when she asked her loaded questions. "So is he why you haven't been home lately? He is extremely attractive. Actually he's hot! Does he have a brother? Have you _done anything_ yet?"

"Tsubaki!" Hana was mortified. She knew full well what Tsubaki meant when she used this particular tone. "Could you please let me explain? Don't you want to know where I have been for the past week?"

"Well after seeing that guy... You called him Duke Vivi right? There is no use to wonder. I would go with him to Hell and back, if he wanted."

Hana shivered when she said that. "You would? Well... I got myself into trouble with some very bad people, and Vivi-sama has been protecting me. He suggested that it would be safer if he kept me closer to him."

Tsubaki became gravely serious. "Hana, what kind of trouble?" She guided Hana to a sofa at one side of the room.

"There are some people looking for Vivi-sama and because I helped him I am in danger as well."

"He isn't into anything illegal is he?"

"No, of course not!" _I wish I could tell her what is really going on._

Bending a little so that she could peer into her visitor's face, Tsubaki asked, "Hana, what is really going on?"

"Ok... I will tell you, but you won't believe me!"

"Try me." So Hana did.

Vivi and Momo grew tired of waiting and of each other's company. They did not exchange any words, but one's mere presence was an ordeal for the other. They watched on as Hana told Tsubaki everything. They saw Tsubaki's eyes grow wide with astonishment, surprise and fear. And then the two women became deadly silent.

When a couple of minutes passed, Hana finally exclaimed, "Well?" I told you that you wouldn't believe me!"

"No... I believe you. You don't know how to lie anyway." Getting up from her seat, she approached Vivi and pointing at him said forcefully, "Don't you dear hurt one hair on her head, Mr. Duke Demon. If you do, I will personally send you back to Hell. Like I always say, men who hurt a woman's feelings are the WORST!" Then she suddenly smiled and holding out her hand said, "My name is Tsubaki, do you have a brother?"

Vivi smiled at her threats but before he could answer her bordering-on-flirtatious question, Momo shouted, "Tsubaki!"

"What?" she asked feigning innocence. "Anyway... Momo, I am glad that you came by. I need to talk to you."

"But..." He wanted to stay with Hana.

"Don't even think about it. You know what I need to discuss with you, don't you."

"Yeah." There was no use arguing, Tsubaki was right.

* * *

"I am so glad that the brat is gone!" Vivi sighed as Toni drove him and Hana home.

"Vivi-sama, he isn't a brat!" Hana corrected.

"To someone who is two hundred years old, he is." Vivi answered.

"That makes me a brat as well."

"No... that makes you a little flower." Hana squealed when he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Besides, I missed having you close to me when he was around."

Blushing, Hana remembered the kiss they shared earlier. She wondered if it would be repeated as she sat with her back to his chest. Then she felt his lips in her shoulder and her neck. She was ticklish there and when she giggled out his name Vivi's wondered what his name would sound like if he were to bring her to the zenith of pleasure. _Would she scream out my name in ecstasy?_ This thought frightened him deeply. He realized that he was becoming even more sexually aware of Hana and that his desire for her was growing exponentially. It was the first time that he was so fiercely attracted to a female in such as short period of time. And a human too! It was perplexing. Slowly he lowered her back to the seat, but left one arm around her. He knew that for an innocent woman such as herself, if he became impassioned too soon, it would scare her away. He would have to exercise patience and control. Hana, unaware of Vivi's internal struggle, placed her head against his shoulder. Peacefully she remained there, enjoying the drive home.

**NOTE: Reviews and constructive criticism welcome! **


	10. Beyond the Morning

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hana to Akuma or the characters therein. Nor do I own the song Walking In The Air.

**NOTE:** Thank you Nanaga for your review! Here is another chappie!

**LIME WARNING... (towards the end of this chapter. I have marked it off, so don't read if you don't want to or are too young! It won't affect the story that much if you decide not to read it.)  
**

**Chapter 10: Beyond the Morning  
**

The day after visiting Tsubaki Hana returned to work. At first she was a little worried about being away from Vivi-sama and the manor but after a few uneventful days, she calmed down. Besides, she knew that Mr. Bird was always close to her, only a command away. At first she would smuggle him into the clinic in her handbag since animals were not allowed. Now she was satisfied having him just hang around outside the building. Either way it did not seem that he minded just lazing around all day.

Vivi had assigned a personal driver, named William, to take her any place she wanted to go, since Toni had other duties that needed to be fulfilled on mornings. He was about Toni's height, but had light brown hair and green eyes. Because of Hana's amiable nature, she quickly became steadfast friends with William. During their time together they chatted freely and Hana learned quite a few things about the Demon World. Vivi-sama did not seem too keen on talking about it, and she did not want to pressure him into doing so.

Weeks went by. Today marked four weeks since first met Vivi-sama. Momo, who regularly visited the clinic with his father, the town's main pastor, still waited for her to show up every morning to make sure that she was alright. "Momo, you don't have to worry! Vivi-sama is very good to me."

"That may be true, Hana, but I still worry about you." he replied matter-of-factly. He then changed the subject. "Hana, your birthday is coming up. What would you like to do on that day?"

Hana had forgotten about that. "Well... we usually have a small party at my place, but because I live at the manor now, I don't know." She thought for a moment and ventured, "I wonder what Vivi-sama would let me have a party there?"

"You mean allow you to invite humans to his manor?" Momo was sceptical. "Maybe it would be best of we kept up the festivities somewhere else."

"Yes, you're probably right. But the garden is so beautiful with all the flowers! Oh, that's right, Momo, you didn't get a chance to see it, did you?"

Hana had a few new patients, but nothing that she could not handle. There was something new, though. She found herself missing Vivi-sama's company and as soon as she got to work, as long as she was not occupied with a patient or working on blood samples and cultures, she found herself looking up at one of the many clocks in the clinic wondering when it would turn five o'clock so that she could call Mr. Bird to her and return home. Then she would be free to seek Vivi-sama out for a conversation. Actually, usually she would not find him so she started helping Toni with the flower gardening. It was then that her suspicion of a demon making flowers wither by their touch was confirmed. It made her remember Eleanor and she smiled. She wanted to know how things were going with Velten. It had been a while since their last girl to girl conversation.

The few times she found Vivi, he was reading in his study, but he quickly put his book away to talk to her. He asked a lot of questions about her and she realized that he knew much more about her than she knew about him. She was going to fix that though. Then they would have dinner together and usually she would retire not too long after because she had to wake up early the next day for work. Each night she went to bed thinking about when he would kiss her next. In fact, he did not even touch her since the day they visited Tsubaki. It had been three weeks and she concluded that maybe he thought that the kiss was a mistake. This made her depressed and she resolved to find out if that was the case. But how was she going to do that was beyond her.

Home... she felt the warmest sensation go through her whenever she thought about Vivi-sama and his manor filled with demons. For the first time in her life she felt like she had a family. True she had developed a few close friendships and a general feeling of camaraderie with the other children who grew up with her in the orphanage; but being in an orphanage setting robbed her of the feeling of completely belonging somewhere. She felt like she could find a place in this life with Vivi-sama. She blushed, _I am thinking about making a life with him? Wouldn't it be nice to become even closer to him? Oh, no what am I thinking!? He is a supernatural being who is going to live for hundreds of years after I die. _That made her feel even more depressed, but she cheered up by thinking, _One lifetime with him would be enough. I shouldn't be greedy. _

Today was Friday and that meant that she was expected at the Youth Centre this afternoon. Hana was anxious to see her students again and, to her, it seemed like the clocks decided to shut down today. She felt like 5pm would never get there. But sure enough it did. Hastily she grabbed her bag and folder containing the sheet music and practically ran out of the clinic. She picked up Tsubaki and Momo on her way there and she happily made her way into one of the side rooms where her eager students awaited her.

Inside were her choir of forty four children and adolescents ranging in age from 8 to 17, together with and a small string and brass orchestra composed mainly of music teachers, students and others who volunteered. After greeting them she said, "Please take your places so that we can continue working on Mendelssohn's _'Elijah'_. Let us warm up with the first three sections that we have completed and then we will move on the fourth, '_Ye People, Rend Your Hearts_'." Turning to the orchestra that Momo and Tsubki joined, she said "Would you please?" Honouring her request, they began playing the 'Intro'.

They went at it for three hours, taking short breaks ever so often. When the practice session was nearing its close, she noticed that Momo stopped playing his violin momentarily. Not wanting to be distracted she waited until the end of the session to turn around to see what had caught Momo's attention. Sitting in a corner, silently listening were Toni and Vivi-sama. She was about to greet them when Tsubaki spoke up, "Hey Duke, would you like to see what kind of skill Hana-chan uses here?"

"Kind of skill?" he asked, his head tilting slightly in interest. "Of course."

"Hana-chan, let's do one of your simpler favourites.... How about... '_Walking in the Air'?_" Tsubaki then told Momo, "Start us off, will ya?"

Taking the seat near the piano, Momo began a soft, mysterious melody to which Tsubaki added her violin.

Hana blushed. This is a song should be sung to a lover.

**We're walking in the air  
We're floating in the moonlit sky  
The people far below are sleeping as we fly**

**We're holding very tight  
I'm riding in the midnight blue  
I'm finding I can fly so high above with you**

**All across the world  
The villages go by like dreams  
The rivers and the hills  
The forest and the streams**

**Children gaze open mouthed  
Taken by surprise  
Nobody down below believes their eyes**

**We're surfing in the air  
We're swimming in the frozen sky  
We're drifting over icy  
mountains floating by**

**Suddenly swooping low on an ocean deep  
Arousing of a mighty monster from its sleep**

**We're walking in the air  
We're dancing in the midnight sky  
And everyone who sees us greets us as we fly**

Although the song's beautiful tone did not showcase the complete strength and versatility of her soprano skill, it was enough to astonish Vivi. The trio seemed to become far removed from all earthy things. As Momo's fingers danced along the piano keys and Tsubaki swayed gently to the sweet music of her violin, a smiling and singing Hana seemed to have stepped out of a dream. This little spectacle together with the song's words and harmony shook him to the core. Vivi's eyebrows furrowed deeply as he regarded her. _This is where she belongs. Maybe it would be wrong for her to continue staying with me. Would I corrupt her? I shouldn't..._ His thoughts were broken when Toni piped in, "Hana-sama, that was absolutely beautiful!"

Seeing Vivi's expression Hana asked, "Didn't you like it, Vivi-sama?"

"Hana, you have the voice of an angel." Despite his thoughts he did not want to upset her and smiling at her he approached her and asked, "Would you sing another for me?" Hana eagerly complied.

* * *

By the time they quitted the Youth Centre, Hana was exhausted. In fact she had fallen asleep on Vivi's shoulder on the way back home. Carefully he picked her up from inside the car to carry her upstairs to her room. Turning slightly in his arms to snuggle closer to the warmth his body offered against the cold night air, smiling lips whispered his name contently. _Is she dreaming of me?_ he wondered to himself.

Placing her on her bed, Vivi had an intense yearning to kiss her. He had not kissed her since that day when she ran away from him. He was afraid that he were to again, he would go too far and risk pushing her away. But there she was completely defenseless and unaware. If he just leaned into her a little more... He decided against it. He told himself that his behaviour towards Hana was stupid. _I have not been a hormone raged adolescent for a century now. How could I be thinking of stealing kisses from a sleeping woman!? _ Straightening his back he was about to leave when Hana stirred. She woke up to see his back to her. "Vivi?" she called, forgetting the suffix. He noticed but did not mind. His name was breathed out in an almost tantalizing way, making him want to kiss her again all over again. "I am sorry that I fell asleep." She added rubbing her eyes. "Did you carry me to my room? You should have woken me up."

Turning back to her he replied, "I did not wish to." _Because_ _if you were awake, I would want to kiss you and maybe even..._ he continued in his head. The song she sang for him... No sang to him did funny things to his insides. He found that not only had the buzzing sensation start again, but his heart felt lighter than it had in almost three decades. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and do **bad **things to her. "You should get some rest, Hana." He sounded withdrawn. He wanted to quickly leave this room and her alone.

Hana noticed that something was wrong. "Vivi-sama? Are you mad at me?"

"Mad at you?" Temporarily forgetting that he should make his escape, he approached her bed. "Why would I be mad at you?"

Sitting upright she said sheepishly, "Well, we haven't spent much time with each other since I went back to work." What she really wanted to say was that he had not touched her since the day they kissed. But she could not bring herself to voice that. "I thought that maybe I did something wrong."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Vivi took one of her hands and enveloped it in one of his larger ones. The warmth of the contact seemed to radiate throughout her body. "No, do not ever think that I am mad at you. I just thought you wanted some space to acclimatise to this new arrangement."

Feeling emboldened by his words Hana took her other hand and gently ran it up his arm to his shoulder. Vivi visibly shivered at the intimate contact. Tilting her head up to his she whispered, "Vivi... I..." _How am I going to say: I want you to kiss me?_ she wondered desperately. Using her hand on his shoulder as leverage, she pulled herself up and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. Blushing furiously she backed away, her heart beating rapidly at her daring action.

Vivi's control broke then. Wrapping her tightly against him he titled his head and kissed her passionately. _By Lucifer! It had been too long!_ Vivi thought. Recalling the kiss they shared before, Hana readily opened her lips to for him. Smiling at her eagerness, he plunged his tongue deep into her warm, welcoming mouth to caress hers. How sweet she tasted! Like nectar. Vivi kissed her hungrily, trying to quench a thirst for her that originated from deep within him. When she kissed him back with a fervour that matched his own his heartbeat quickened. As he continued to plunder her lips, tasting and stroking ever inch of the sweetness she offered, he knew that he wanted... no needed more. Whatever part of his soul that was previously untapped now roared to life.

**LIME CONTENT:**

Lowering Hana to the bed, Vivi covered her with his body. As pleasure coursed down her spine, her heart knocked against her ribcage, threatening to burst out of her chest. While he kept her distracted with his searching, bewitching kisses, his knowledgeable hands sought out the buttons that kept her blouse together. It was not until she felt her breasts freed from her brassiere that Hana realized that her upper body was naked. Not for a second did Vivi's kisses cease or falter for her to realize that he was undressing her. But Hana's rational mind was gone at this point and she lacked the strength or the will to ask him to stop. Then suddenly a hand was gently caressing her left breast. Hana moaned into her kiss as pleasure spread from her breast into her heart and then down, pooling hotly in her lower abdomen.

Vivi's lips left hers and she gulped for air as his mouth traveled down her throat leaving a trail of kissed behind. Hana cried out when his hand was replaced by his lips. Tenderly he kissed her breast and then swirled his tongue around her taunt nipple before taking it into his mouth. Hana forgot how to breathe then. The pleasure was too much. Her lower body seemed like it was suddenly lit aflame and she rubbed her legs together in an effort to stop the aching that began to form, but her actions only intensified her throbbing. Becoming confused and frightened because she had never experienced these things before, she cried out "Vivi!"

The fear in her voice brought the raven-haired demon back to his senses. He quickly realized what was happening and what he was doing to her. The smell of her arousal threatened to make him lose himself again so he quickly rolled off her. Swearing loudly, he turned his back on her. _What the hell was I thinking? _He demanded of himself. _You weren't thinking_ his conscious answered nastily, laughing evilly. Hana grabbed a pillow and pressing it against her chest, hiding her nakedness.

**END OF LIME CONTENT**

"I... I'm sorry, Hana." She heard him say. "This won't happen again! I just... I..." He trailed off. Without looking back at her he moved towards the door. When he opened the door he heard her say,

"Vivi, I'm sorry too." in saddened voice. _If only I knew what to do..._ She was almost in tears silently cursing her own innocence. She did not know if she wanted him to make this experience NOT happen again. All she knew that she would not be getting much sleep tonight.

Vivi could not leave fast enough. Retreating into his room and slamming his door shut, he placed his head in his hands and asked aloud, "What the f**k was I doing to her? F**K! What the hell is wrong with me? How could I take advantage of a woman like that? Is this what the Great Duke Vivi has become? Will I corrupt an innocent flower?" He sat down heavily in one of the chairs near his bed and pondered what had just happened. Even though he hated and chastised himself for losing his senses, it angered him further that it did not change the fact that he wanted Hana. He wanted her badly. He knew that now he would have to also protect her from himself. But would he be able to do that? He would have to stay away from her until he found some way of controlling his desire for her. His lust for her. But staying away from her was not working. He tried that and all it achieved was increasing his craving for her until he could not take it anymore. "**What am I going to do?**" he asked helplessly.

It was suddenly early morning and he was still in the same position. His raging thoughts made it impossible to sleep, but easy to speed the night along. He thought of Cassandra and how she died. She had died because of him. It was at this time that he realized that what he felt for Hana was not lust. It went beyond that. It went beyond his instinct to protect her because she was weak and by morning he recognized that his emotions for Hana went beyond his wish to prevent another woman from losing her life because of him. With the morning light that peeked through his heavy draperies, he realized that he had fallen in love with her. What he felt for Cassandra was strong, but it was different from what he felt for Hana. Did love take different forms? As a demon, by nature, the finer emotions were a mystery to him. This situation puzzled him, but he knew for his sake and Hana's he would have to solve this problem soon. He would have to go beyond where his mind reached before.


	11. The Aftermath

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hana to Akuma or the characters therein.

**Note: **Thank you for reading. Special thanks to Jenny Kim319 for your review. Here is the last chapter for **this **weekend:

**Chapter 11: The Aftermath **

It was already three in the afternoon by the time Hana made it downstairs. She fell asleep after hours of crying and thinking of the intimate minutes she shared with Vivi-sama. She recalled being quite wonton with him before becoming scared of her own body's reaction to his. Somewhere in the early morning she slipped into a fretful sleep and awakened shortly after 2pm. She had summoned a maid then and given instructions to notify William that she would need to be driven somewhere, in the next hour. The maid asked her if she wanted breakfast, but when she remembered Vivi's reaction to her voice calling out his name in panic, and the way he fled her room last night, she knew she would not be able to stomach anything besides water.

_Maybe,_ she thought, _I should spend a few days away from Vivi. _She packed an overnight bag_. _Hana was not sure what to do but knew that she needed to talk to someone. She thought that she might go insane if she did not share the thoughts and feeling swarming through her mind and heart. Dialling Tsubaki, she told her friend that she needed to see her. Tsubaki could hear the distress in Hana's voice and said, "Of course! You don't need to ask." She then got another idea. The only person who may be able to help her with this problem was Eleanor. Not only was she a demon, like Vivi-sama, but she had known him for a long time. She might be able to supply some useful advice. Calling Eleanor, she asked her if she would be willing to accompany her to her friend's place.

Telling Toni that she would be spending a few days with Tsubaki, she fled the manor. Picking up Eleanor, they proceeded to Tsubaki's. When Eleanor asked her what happened, she could not stop from crying. "This has something to do with Vivi, doesn't it?" the demoness asked gently as she placed an arm around the girl's shaking shoulders. "Shhh... Don't cry. It's going to be alright." She assured her, but her thoughts were not as positive as her words. _What the hell did Vivi do? I thought that things were going well. They kissed a while back didn't they? _

As soon as they got to Tsubaki's apartment, Hana told them everything that transpired from the first time they kissed until this morning. She told them about not being able to find Vivi when she returned home after work and, most importantly, about last night. Tsubaki told her not to leave the smallest detail out. Hana was reluctant to tell them where Vivi-sama touched and kissed, but Tsubaki persuaded it out. "We need to know what exactly happened, Hana-chan. We won't be able to help you if I don't know **everything**."

Both women listened intently, and by the time she was finished, Eleanor was lost in thought. _So things deteriorated after they shared a kiss... The bastard has been avoiding her since then. I guess after what he went through I can't blame him. He is only trying to protect himself from finding something precious again. He's so afraid to lose another love that he is trying to reject it. _

Tsubaki spoke first. "Well... it's quite obvious that the Duke is very attracted to you, Hana. I think that when you became scared he realized that he had gone too far. But what is confusing is why he's been avoiding you. Unless it was because he was afraid that something like this would happen."

Eleanor was shocked that Tsubaki came to the same conclusion that she had arrived at. _This woman is terrifyingly insightful for someone who doesn't know Vivi at all!_

"But why would he want to avoid me?" Hana asked innocently. "If he is attracted to me, then wouldn't he want to spend time with me?"

"But looked at what happened when he found himself alone with you." Tsubaki told her.

"But it was my fault," Hana argued. "If I hadn't kissed him..."

She was cut short by Tsubaki's words. "You kissed him, Hana-chan. You did not ask him to make love to you, did you?" Hana blushed but knew not what to reply to that, so Tsubaki abruptly asked "What do you think, Eleanor?"

It took her a few seconds to formulate an answer. But she hit the nail on the head. "Tsubaki is right. He has been avoiding you, Hana. I think that he wants you so badly that he doesn't know what to do, so he avoids you in the hope that his desire would decrease. But that plan has backfired. Staying away from you only increases his need for you. You should know that male demons his age have exceptionally high libido. Just look at Velten. Although he overdoes it! Vivi is trying to protect you from himself."

"I... I..." Hana was not sure what she wanted to say. She realized sometime last night that even with the fear of the feelings, that were rushing through her while Vivi kissed and caressed her, she did not want him to stop. She wanted to find out where all this was leading to. She blushed. She had never wanted to be so intimate with a man before. But Vivi wasn't your everyday man... He wasn't even a man... but a powerful, handsome, wickedly desirable demon.

"Do you love him, Hana?" Tsubaki asked.

"How could I love someone I met a month ago?" Hana was trying to hide from the truth.

Tsubaki smiled knowingly, "Since when could you put a timeframe around your heart?"

Hana started to weep again, "Tsubaki, although I have never been in love before, I think that I do love him. I love him so much that my heart hurts when I think about him and how I rejected him last night. I don't want him to avoid me and I don't need protection from him. Last night part of me... part of me..."

Eleanor sighed heavily. "Part of you wanted him to continue to make love to you." she finished for Hana who nodded in agreement. "This goes against my better judgement but I'm going to explain to you why he is so adamant about staying away from you. This should be shared by Vivi, but because of how you feel about him, you have a right to know." Taking a deep breath, Eleanor began to tell them a story that spanned the last one hundred years of Duke Vivi's life.

* * *

"It all began a century ago. Vivi had already been bestowed the title of Duke for many years. Despite of the fact that there were numerous demonesses interested in Vivi either because of his keen intellect, his looks or his position and power, he was never interested in any of them. Vivi is, after all, known as The Lethargic Vivi-sama. The truth is that he isn't as lazy as people think, but rather because he is a genius, he needs to expend very little effort to accomplish most things. But women are a different story. They posed too much trouble for him. He had no desire to spend his time distinguishing between the women who wanted him for himself from those who wanted his title. He also considered romancing women a waste of time.

"He had repeatedly told his parents that he had no wish to marry, but because of his high status, he was expected to take a wife. About eighty years ago, he was betrothed to an extremely beautiful demon who was the daughter of an archduke. Cassandra, who was not satisfied to ride on her father's nobility, had worked hard, achieving high grades, excelling in, witchcraft, swordplay and war strategy. By the time she became engaged to Vivi, she had already earned the title of Viscountess. Both her parents and Vivi's thought that it was a good match since they were both brilliant and not interested in marrying for wealth or power.

"Of course, Vivi was against it, but when he was forced to meet her, after one evening in each other's presence they took a liking to each other. For the first time in his life, The Lethargic Vivi-sama found himself attracted to a female. But it wasn't all just physical attraction. She easily challenged his mind with highly scholastic conversations so that she effortlessly gained his respect and the right to occupy his time.

"Although to all of the Demon World it seemed like a perfect match, Cassandra had no wish to get wed right away. She was determined to match Vivi's title before marrying him. She often told him that he should have a wife as established and as respected as he was. Vivi did not mind since they had already grown so close that they were already _very_ intimately involved and he loved spoiling her.

"Fifty years passed and she had achieved two more ranks, becoming a Marquise, but Duchess always seemed out of reach. She was now only one rank below Vivi and because he became impatient waiting for her, she decided that he had indulged her long enough and consented to become his wife. He had just announced the date of their wedding when the Last Great Rebellion began. That was thirty years ago. Vivi reluctantly participated but quickly became one of the Commanding Generals of Lucifer-sama's army and it was said that he had the King's ear. During the third year, near the end, the rebels were losing and becoming desperate. They kidnapped Cassandra in the attempt to stop Vivi from leading Lucifer-sama's army. It did not work as well as they hoped. The higher-ups purposefully withheld the information that Vivi's fiancé was captured from him and when Vivi did not meet the conditions set by the enemy, that would ensure Cassandra's safe return, she was murdered.

"Once Vivi heard, he went mad. He became a beast completely consumed by rage and hate. He stealed into their stronghold at night and killed all the people involved in Cassandra's kidnapping. He then killed any member of their family he could find. He didn't distinguish between man, woman or child. He massacred everyone. The higher-ups asked Lucifer-sama to stop him because he was going too far and also because they were afraid that Vivi would come after them too. But Lucifer-sama didn't because Vivi's actions scared the remaining rebels into submission. In fact, the King did nothing to stop him until Vivi attacked him because he blamed him for the decision to withhold the information about Cassandra's abduction. But I think that he was hoping for Lucifer-sama to kill him, ending his grief and misery.

"Only when they finally captured him and sealed his demonic powers did he realize what he had done. It was the first time that I ever saw Vivi cry. He did not shed tears only for Cassandra but for what he did in the aftermath. He was beside himself, and for days he refused to talk, eat, drink or sleep. The only person he allowed to come near him was Toni. Somehow he escaped, denounced Lucifer-sama as his King and retreated to Earth, never to be heard from again until recently."

* * *

"Hana," Eleanor said, "the reason Vivi is so protective and possessive of you is because he doesn't want another woman to lose her life because of him. He is also afraid to fall in love again. He can't bear the thought of losing another loved one. So as much as he wants you, he also wants to protect his heart from you, while protecting you from himself." Eleanor sunk into her chair, exhausted by memories of war. Memories of loss and sadness.

Hana's eyes were filled with tears, but not for herself. She cried for Vivi and she cried for Cassandra. It was all so unfair! All the pieces fell into place now. She now understood Vivi and his actions. Wiping her tears she said in a determined voice, "But Cassandra's death was not his fault! I have to go to him. I must tell him how I feel and that he won't lose me!" Looking about her at her friends she said, "Will you two come with me?"

"Yes!" They said simultaneously.

Just as they were about to leave, they heard a sharp knocking on the window. "That's strange. We're on the 30th floor!" Tsubaki said as she made her way to the window where she thought the knocking originated. Pulling back the curtains she saw a small black bird hovering outside her window.

"Mr. Bird!" she heard Hana say. "Tsubaki, let him in." As soon as she opened the window the bird flew in, and took on its full size. "What the...?" Tsubaki asked as she watched the bird. Suddenly, a black hole opened in the floor and she said, "WHAT THE HELL?" Before them a man with long, flowing platinum blonde hair emerged. His skin was very fair, and his large, slanted, green eyes assessed all the room's occupants in a sweeping glance. His long pale green coat with a turtle neck, that reached him mid-calf, made his eyes stand out like emeralds. Over the coat was a black sash from which an intricately designed gold and black sheath hung. An elaborately formed dark blue tsuba and katana handle could be seen above the sheath. His highly pointed ears showed that he was indeed not human, but a demon.

"Gilbert-dono!" Eleanor exclaimed. His eyes shifted to her and she bowed awkwardly, not having gotten over her shock of seeing him. His handsome face remained impassive as he replied, bowing minutely, "Eleanor." Focusing on Hana he approached her, his coat making a soft swishing sound against his long white boots. Mr Bird came between them then. "I mean you no harm, Hana-sama. Call the Avi Umbra off."

"It's all right, Mr. Bird. Allow him to approach me." Hana said. Immediately the bird went to her side, but kept watchful eyes on the demon. When he stood in front of Hana she looked up into his face. It was so expressionless that it looked like it was carved from white marble. As his eyes looked down into hers she realized that his pupils were not round, but slited like a snake's. This made her feel uncomfortable. In fact the coldness of his eyes along with their intense green colour reminded her of something reptilian. Looking away from his cold, intense gaze, she realized that his face was the only part of his body exposed. Even his hands, she noticed as he reached inside his coat, were covered in white gloves.

He produced an envelope and held it out to her. "This is an invitation to an event being held in the Demon World. It is Vivi-sama's 200th birthday party and Lucifer-sama requests your presence. I would suggest that you do not disappoint him. He is not known for his forgiveness."

Hana accepted the envelope smiling warmly. "Thank you, Gilbert-dono." She missed the subtle threat.

Gilbert almost flinched under the warmth of her smile. _What a strange woman, smiling like that to a demon..._

"Hold on one minute there, mister!" Tsubaki said angrily. "Have you no manners? You barge your way into someone else's home, you request things of people and passively threaten them into accepting?"

He turned to her then with eyebrows so minutely furrowed that it was nearly impossible to tell that he was making any particular expression. "Do you not fear me, woman? I am an armed demon."

"No, I don't fear you because in this apartment, I am queen." She approached him and then said forcefully, "The name is Tsubaki-sama, not woman! And yeah, nice sword... looks expensive." She sounded bored.

"Ts- Tsubaki!" Eleanor blurted out. "This is..."

"I don't care who he is. He is being rude."

"I apologize for her outburst, Gilbert-dono. She does not know who she is addressing." Eleanor sounded scared.

"Eleanor don't..." Tsubaki's words were brought to a halt.

_How interesting... A human who is unimpressed and unafraid._ "I apologize for my lack of manners. It has been a long time since I have been on Earth." Bowing at the waist, he said, "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Tsubaki-sama. I am Gilbert, Lucifer-sama's butler."

_A sword-toting butler? How does that work?_ Tsubaki wondered absentmindedly. "Pleased to meet you too." She held out her hand, "I am sorry that I was so brusque with you just now." Without any show of emotion, he turned her hand over and kissed the back of it as Eleanor gasped in surprise. In spite of his ice cold countenance, his lips were warm and Tsubaki found herself blushing. She also found this armed butler interesting so she decided to push the envelope and asked flirtatiously, "So where is my invitation?"

"Tsubaki!" Eleanor thought she was going to faint from all this drama unfolding in front of her.

The woman could have sworn that one side of Gilbert's mouth curved upwards ever so slightly. _Interesting indeed..._ "You are not under Vivi-sama's guard, are you?"

"Suppose I said that I was?" she said teasingly.

Reaching into his coat, he produced another envelope which he handed to her and in a flat voice he said, "Do not disappoint Lucifer-sama. He is not the merciful type."

"I will take my leave now." He turned back to the black pool he surfaced from.

"Are you going to be there, Gilbert?" Tsubaki called.

"Yes." He said turning to look at her over his shoulder.

"Then maybe I'll show up then." She smiled flirtatiously.

_These humans are strange. No wonder Vivi is still on Earth. Instead of cowering in fear, she flirts with me?_ Gilbert thought as he returned to the Demon World. _If only she knew the truth about me. She wouldn't be so forward._

Eleanor collapsed into the chair closest to her. "Wow, Tsubaki! You must have made quite the impression on Gilbert-dono."

"Why do you say that?"

"I have seen him lop demon's heads off for far less. Quite literally. And I have NEVER seen him kiss a lady's hand. He is always so emotionless and uptight!"

"Yeah? Well I like him too. I can't wait to find out what he has covered up under all those layers."

"Tsubaki!" Hana was scandalized.

The woman in question shrugged. "What?...You have a dirty mind, Hana-chan." She actually did not mean it the way it sounded. But then again with Tsubaki you never know.

Eleanor continued, "Although he introduced himself as Lucifer-sama's butler, he is actually the King's royal bodyguard. He is insanely nimble and strong, even by demon standards, well versed in all sorts of weaponry and hand to hand combat. In all the years serving the King, he has never failed to carry out his duties. And although he does serve as a butler, of sorts, he is actually from a high ranking noble family. It is said that Lucifer-sama awards him lavishly for his work and loyalty with property and wealth. He is also one of the only eight demons to be admitted into the Royal League of Knights. But it is also said that he cares not for any of those things. When his father died and he was given the option to leave Lucifer-sama's side to take over as his family's head, he asked his younger brother to do it instead. Such is his loyalty to the Crown."

"He's no joke, huh?" Tsubaki asked rhetorically. "By the way, Eleanor, are all demons that handsome?"

Eleanor laughed, "Of course not!" Becoming serious she said, "Come on, you guys let's get out of here. We need to tell Vivi about this." Eleanor said getting up.


	12. The Aftermath II

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein. **

**Chapter 12: Aftermath II**

As William drove the three women to Vivi's manor, they chatted light-heartedly. Eleanor and Tsubaki knew that Hana was feeling very nervous about having to approach Vivi and tell him how she felt about him, so Eleanor decided to talk about something else. She had just met Tsubaki tonight, but had already garnered a respect for Tsubaki because she seemed to possess a strong-willed and free spirit and was not afraid to speak her mind. She also felt the need to protect the human, especially from someone like Lucifer-sama's butler. "So... Tsubaki... I take it that you like Gilbert-dono."

Tsubaki smiled. "Well... he is really cute and I find that cold persona to be quite a turn on."

"A turn on?" Eleanor thought she misheard. "He shows as much emotion as a statue." She said drily. "I concur that he is a good looking demon, but to think that he is a turn on seems a little farfetched to me."

"How so? His demeanour is exactly what I find intriguing. It makes me really wanna to find out what he's been keepin' hidden from the world. I just know that there is somethin' wonderful under that hard, cold exterior." She laughed. "Hey, is he married?" Tsubaki wanted to know.

"No, he is not. He does not even have a fiancé. Hmmm... you know, I have never seen him in the company of a female. I think he decided to marry to his work instead. I cannot say that I have ever seen him relaxing or taking part in any leisure activities. The only time I have seen him is in the company of the King or on rare occasions when I crossed paths with him when he was performing a specific task for his master, like tonight. I guess he has no life, as you humans say." Eleanor became silent for a few seconds and then said, "Tsubaki, you really should be very careful! Glibert-dono is an extremely dangerous individual. He carries out the King's orders without question and he is capable of killing without hesitation. He is heartless, always concerned with rules and regulations and very efficient at keeping others away from Lucifer-sama and himself. I have never seen him be friendly."

"Ya say that even after ya saw him kiss my hand?" Tsubaki was clearly amused, but blushed at the memory.

Eleanor did not fail to notice the blush. "True... that was really shocking! But it may just be a formality that he picked up over years of being alongside the King at innumerable functions. I doubt that he even knows what it is like to be affectionate, especially with a woman."

"Hey..." Tsubaki smiled broadly, "Do ya think he's a **virgin**?"

"**Tsubaki!"** Hana was aghast and Eleanor lost her voice.

Then suddenly Tsubaki started laughing loudly. "Ya should've seen your faces! Priceless!" The other two women could not help it and started laughing too.

Between giggles, Eleanor said, "I would not be surprised if he was!" When the laughter finally died down, taking a grave tone she stated, "But Tsubaki, I would be afraid to dig below the surface. I do not think that I want to know what lies beneath. And I also think that Gilbert-dono does not want anyone knowing either. Most of the women I know are terrified to approach him, not only because of his position, but also because of his countenance. Please, Tsubaki... I have no wish for you to get hurt. Please do not annoy him in anyway."

"Yeah, I'll be careful." Tsubaki added silently. _But gettin' to know him better might aid me in what I have to do. I have to stop foolin' around and concentrate on what I came here to do. Things are gonna getting rather tricky from now on._

"Tsubaki," Hana called knocking her out of her thoughts. "Are you really going to the birthday party?"

"If you're goin' I ain't letting ya go alone."

"Vivi-sama will not let me go alone."

"In fact," Eleanor put in, "I don't think that Vivi is going to attend. There is no way that he would return to the Demon World for something as trivial as a party."

"An' that's why the King made it his business to invite Hana-chan and make sure she got the message that she is to attend. Why else would he send his personal guard?" Tsubaki replied.

"Yes," Eleanor sighed, "That is what I am afraid of."

"Oh, no... it is exactly as Vivi-sama feared." Hana said in an apprehensive voice. "They are using me against him. What are we going to do? Would they force me if I decided not to go?"

"They just might." Eleanor said solemnly. "Let us see what Vivi has to say about this."

* * *

It was late afternoon when they arrive. Hana rushed out of the car as Eleanor began showing Tsubaki the way to the lounge since it was the first time there. "Wow! This dude is rich! This house is amaaazin'!" Tsubaki said. Hana needed to see Vivi right away, so she ran on ahead into the main sitting room. When she got there she realized that the door was ripped off its hinges. Cautiously entering, she gasped loudly, her hand clutching her chest, as she saw the room.

"What is it, Hana?" Eleanor asked as she and Tsubaki ran to her side. Their eyes widened in shock and horror.

The lounge was a complete and utter mess. The coffee tables were broken into such small pieces that it would be impossible to repair them. The hutches were all toppled over, littering the entire floor with glass. All the intricately crafted china and glassware along with the trophies and other awards previously housed within the hutches were destroyed. The sofas were overturned and their cushions shredded and the sponge and down that was once insides was strewn everywhere. Every one of the beautiful paintings and portraits were lying about broken and ripped. The draperies, even the carpet were cut and shredded into strips and there were deep indentations and holes in the walls. The chunks of concrete and plaster that were ripped out could be found nearby. The entire room was completely destroyed.

"What happened? Someone got a little too happy?" Tsubaki was the only one who could talk at the moment.

Hana and Eleanor did not even notice Toni and Velten come in behind them. "It was Vivi." Velten said from behind them. They whirled around to see the two demons looking worn out and then they noticed that Velten's shirt had a long diagonal rip around which there was blood. "**Velten... you're hurt!**" Eleanor screamed.

He smiled, "It's only a scratch! But that's Vivi for you... He has always been so strong!"

"Vivi-sama did this to you? Did he wreck this place too?" Hana could not believe it.

"He did not mean to. I jumped in and tried to stop him. It was my fault. It is a good thing that I was here though. He would have surely killed Claus if I had not stopped him. Seems like he was in already in a bad mood and when Claus came in with an invitation and told him that Lucifer-sama had sent Gilbert-dono to invite Hana, Vivi lost it and went berserk."

"_Claus?_ Where is the idiot now? I want to know what's going on here!" Eleanor said angrily.

"Oh, I bounded him and placed him in the library. He is..." Velten's words were cut short as a loud, sorrowful howl invaded the house. It came from somewhere in the forest behind the flower gardens.

"It's Vivi!" Hana exclaimed as she ran out from the sitting room and towards the back exit.

"Hana!" Velten shouted. He ran after her and grabbing her arm stopped her.

"Velten, it's okay. Let me go to him. It's my fault that he was in such a bad mood."

"No Hana." Velten was adamant. "You must not. Vivi is not thinking straight now. Do not go near him. Wait until he calms down!"

"Velten, please!" She screamed as she shook out of his grasp. "If you try to stop me I will ask Mr. Bird to restrain you! I am going to him!" With that she ran out in search of Vivi. As she made her way towards the forest, she called. "Mr. Bird." When he came to her she ordered, "Take me to Vivi-sama." Mr. Bird grew to its full size and gently enveloping Hana's waist in one of its talons, which was unexpectedly soft, he took flight towards Vivi above the canopy of trees. As the sun began to set the sky lit up in a blaze of red and gold, and if it was not for Hana's anxiety and fear, she would have noticed how dazzlingly stunning the scene was.

Within a minute she spotted Vivi quietly sitting in the middle of a clearing. Surrounding him were broken and fallen trees. Some were split right the middle, others were broken off their stumps and the rest were nothing more than a large pile of smouldering ashes. _Looks like he might have calmed down a bit._ she thought. "Vivi!" Hana called from above. She did not think it was safe to approach him unannounced.

"**Go away!"** he shouted roughly. But she would not listen.

"No, Vivi. You I can't do that." She replied as Mr. Bird alighted and gently deposited her about fifty meters away from Vivi, who turned his back to her. Carefully, she approached him and when she was close enough she reached out and placed the flat of her palm against his back. "Vivi, please..."

She saw him tense under the soft contact, but he did not pull away from her. "Hana... please leave." he said pleadingly, "I don't want you to see me like this... Did you not plan on staying with Tsubaki for a few days? Why did you come back?"

"I came back for you, Vivi."

He turned around suddenly then and her hand dropped away from him. She looked up into his face and saw how exhausted he looked. "I... I am so sorry about what happened last night. I did not mean to frighten you." He apologized. "Hana... it seems that I always succeed in hurting you in some way. I am despicable and you should not have returned."

"Do you want me to leave, Vivi?"

He seemed to collapse into her and hug her to him at the same time. "No, my little flower, I do not want you to leave me."

"Vivi, I'm sorry too. But you didn't hurt me. I was I just a little scared, that's all. I've never... you know before." Her face reddened.

Vivi smiled at her innocence and her inability to refer to anything sexual. "I know... I went too far. It won't happen again, I promise."

"Uhhh... well..." she swallowed nervously. "I didn't say that you need to do that. Let's just take it a little slower." _Did I really say that just now? _

Vivi pulled away from her and tried to look into her eyes which she was determined to keep downcast. "Hana, do you mean that?"

_There is no turning back now. And I really want to know how he feels about me._ "Yes. I... I think that I might be in love with you, Vivi."

Vivi closed his eyes and wondered if he misheard her. Maybe this was a dream. If it was, then he could admit his feelings for her right? After all, it was all a dream. A beautiful, innocent girl like Hana could not possibly fall in love with a demon. Hell knew that he certainly did not deserve it. Not after what he did. "I... I think that I feel the same way, Hana."

"R-really Vivi-sama. Do you mean that?" She was stunned.

"Yes, r-really." He teased. _So_ _she_ _suddenly_ _remembered_ _the_ _honorific?_ She was still in his arms so bending down, he captured her lips hoping to give her a brief kiss. But Hana instantly responded to him by parting her lips and using her tongue, begged for entrance into his mouth. Vivi gladly gave in and they kissed deeply. As her heartbeat sped up, Hana poured all her love into her kiss, stroking his tongue with hers and arching her back so that her breasts were pressed tightly against his chest. When they were both breathless she grudgingly parted their lips and hugged him again. "When it comes to kissing, you are a quick study, Hana."

She blushed and replied smartly, "Well, I had a great teacher!" Suddenly remembering Velten and the house, she asked, "Vivi-sama, what happened while I was away?"

"Do you need to ask?" He did not mean for her to witness his fury. "I was so despised with what I had done to you that I was in an extremely foul mood and then Claus showed up and gave me the invitation and told me that Gilbert had already given one to you. I became so enraged that almost killed him. I would of but Velten defended him, getting injured in the process. When I realized what I had done to Velten I lost it and I tore up the sitting room and when Toni tried to stop me I came out here and released the rest of my wrath on the forest."

"That's really scary, Vivi-sama."

"Hana," he pushed her away a little to look her over. "do you really want to stay with me? I am a demon, and nothing is going to change that."

"I wouldn't leave you for the world. Just don't go berserk again."

He smiled and then asked, "Are you alright? Did Gilbert do anything to you?"

"Oh, no! He was actually really calm about it. He is rather cold though. He told me that Mr. Demon King requested my presence at your birthday party and that I shouldn't disappoint him. Tsubaki got really mad because she thought that he was threatening me, but I didn't think he was.

_Mr. Demon King? I have never heard anyone call him that before._ "Yes, I agree with you. Gilbert is not the friendliest person, but he would not threaten a human since you are harmless to him. I think that, in fact, he was trying to warn you. That Old Geezer likes playing tricks on his subjects, especially me, and Gilbert always scolds him into concentrating and carrying out his work. I think that Gilbert wants to ensure Geezer does not harm you."

"Do you think that he would do that for me? He doesn't seem like a caring person!"

"He may seem cold but he is not malicious. He will not hurt anyone without cause. Rumour has it that he was not always as emotionless as you saw tonight. My uncle, Baal, once told me about him. It seemed that although he was not overly expressive, one could have even called Gilbert happy once; but then something happened. His personal life fell apart and he became a living doll."

"His personal life fell apart?" Hana grew concerned.

"I do not know the details, it all happened before I was born."

"Vivi-sama, what do you think we should do? I have a bad feeling about all this. I think that they might try something."

"I am also afraid that they would want to use you against me to get me to return to the Demon World."

"I'm frightened, Vivi-sama."

Hugging her again and kissing the top of her head he said, "Do not worry; I won't let anything happen to you."

"Vivi, when is your birthday, anyway?"

"It's a week from today. I believe that the party is on the same day. Next Saturday in Earth time."

"Are you going to attend?"

"Not if I can help it! I am going to have to be very vigilant over you, Hana. I am not going to let you out of my sight."

**Thanks for reading. Don't be too stingy with your comments. Next time: Chapter 13: Vivi-sama gets a birthday gift!  
**


	13. Happy Birthday Vivisama

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein. **

**Chapter 13: Happy Birthday Vivi-sama...**

Vivi did not want Hana at work for the week, but she was adamant about going to work. One of her patients was a little girl who had contracted a potentially fatal virus and Hana insisted that she needed to keep close observation on her. Vivi was not sure how far Old Geezer would go and so made Hana agree to a compromise. He would accompany Hana to and from work every day and to ensure that he could remain as close to her as possible, Hana arranged for Vivi and Velten to become clinic volunteers. Needless to say Momo loathed the idea, but when he realized that the demons were trying to protect her, he relaxed, but not before pointing out, "You, Vivi, are the one who has put her in danger in the first place. If anything happens to her I swear I'll make you wish you never came to the surface."

Vivi smiled at his treat and answered confidently, "As if you could hurt me."

"Do not underestimate me, demon. If you do, that will be your greatest mistake and your downfall." He said vehemently, turning on his heel to walk away from Vivi. Needless to say they did not tell him about the birthday party of the invitations.

Velten, in particular, enjoyed his time playing the volunteer since it afforded him the opportunity to meet a number of young, attractive nurses. However, because Velten was a doctor, Vivi made him do any tasks that he found to be unappetising, while he kept vigilant for any trace of demonic aura or activity. The first two days were uneventful and although Hana loved having her friends with her, she did not want to create trouble for Vivi-sama and so she told them that they did not have to watch her for the rest of the week. However, the two demon noblemen insisted that they would finish the week with her. Soon it was Friday night and Hana sighed in relief. The week passed without interruption and she slept peacefully. Little did she know that in the next few hours, things were going to get quite ugly.

Early Saturday morning, Hana was awaked by a maid, "You have a guest, Hana-sama."

"Hmm... a guest?" she asked sleepily.

"Yes," came the reply, "Tsubaki-sama is here to see you."

Quickly Hana got up and got ready to meet her friend. She gladly met her in the longue that was fully repaired over the last week. "This is really nice, Hana-chan." Tsubaki commented. "Not like before." She thought about what had happened the last time she was there. Hana and Vivi had returned about an hour after Hana had run out into the forest, hand in hand. It really was a sweet sight to see them approaching the manor in the colourful, sleepy rays of dusk. Later that evening, they had dinner together with Eleanor and Velten, but Vivi, after apologizing to Velten, was too tired and possibly to ashamed to join them, and so retired early to his room. After dinner Hana told her and Eleanor what happened and also what she had learnt about Gilbert-dono. Tsubaki listened with particular interest and her curiosity about Gilbert grew.

"Tsubaki, I am afraid of what might happen today." Hana said earnestly. "According to the invitation, the birthday party is being held today."

"That's why I came. I hope ya don't min', but I didn't tell Momo. He's just too overprotective."

"Yes, I don't want him to worry about me. I have Vivi-sama to protect me and soon Velten and Eleanor are going to come over."

"Hey!" Tsubaki said in mock offence, "Don't forget about me!"

Hana laughed cheerfully and said, "Of course not Tsubaki." Suddenly Hana's tone became serious. "But promise me that you won't do anything rash. I know how confrontational you can get, but these are not ordinary people. They are demons. Oh, Tsubaki, I don't know what I would do if something happened to you! Please promise me that if anyone from the Demon World tries anything, you won't try to oppose them."

"Hana... ya know that I can't promise ya that." She laughed.

"But, Tsubaki!" Hana chided. "I don't want you hurt!"

"Hana, let me worry about me." Tsubaki continued silently._ There are some things that I have kept hidden about myself even from you._

Hana invited Tsubaki to have breakfast with her and they chatted lightly as Tsubaki carefully avoided the subject of the Demon World. Hana had been helping Toni with the flower gardening recently and she wanted to show Tsubaki her handiwork so she took her friend to see the flowers behind the house. "Oh, Hana-chan!" Tsubaki was stunned. "This is absolutely beautiful! I didn't think that something so lovely could grow on a demon's estate!" She bent down to smell one of the pink roses.

"Hey, Tsubaki, would you help me cut a bouquet for Vivi-sama? It is his birthday today. Oh no! I didn't get him anything!" she suddenly said.

"I think that flowers that ya grew would be quite enough, Hana. I'll gladly help ya."

"Well... I don't know. When a demon touches flowers they die and whither."

"Really?" Tsubaki was interested. "It's okay, even a demon can appreciate the beauty of flowers."

"Oh yes! Toni loves them! Hmm... Lets get a couple of shears and start picking." Hana said with a smile. As she turned to go to the garden shed she spied a small black cat sleeping between two rows of flowers. "Oh... it's a cat." Walking over, she realized that it did not awaken and bending down to get a better look at it, she realized that it was breathing very shallowly. "Tsubaki! I think that this cat it hurt!"

When Tsubaki came over, she said, "Well... let's get it inside and give it som' milk or water or somethin'."

As they entered the house, they came across Vivi and he said, "What... what is that?" He pointed to the little black creature lying in Hana's arms. Hana noticed that his hand was visibly shaking.

"It's a cat," she answered, "I found it out in the yard and it looks sick, so I..."

"GET RID OF IT!" He shouted.

"Vivi!" Hana was appalled. "It's just a cat."

"No, it's a cat from the demon world. Hand it over." He commanded. "If you do not get rid of it, then I will." He said menacingly as he approached her, his hand beginning to glow with a red and orange flame.

"No don't!" Hana could not believe what he was saying. "What reason could you have for hurting a poor defenceless creature like this?"

"Do I need a reason to destroy something that displeases me?"

"**Vivi, Please!"** she screamed. "I can't bear to see you do something like that!"

"Did I not tell you that I am a demon, Hana. I am..." He did not get to finish his sentence.

"Yo, demon," Tsubaki, who was watching this drama silently, finally said in a voice filled with anger, "Tha' may be the way ya handle things, but Hana's a human so filled with love tha' she could never kill an animal. And because of how she feels about ya, she won't let ya kill it either!"

"Tsubaki, do not talk about things that you have no understanding of!" Vivi replied hotly. He turned back to Hana, but she had taken the opportunity, when Tsubaki distracted him, to run the opposite way, carrying the little cat to safety. Running into the living room of the eastern wing, she came face to face with Claus and another demon, dressed in a long black cloak, with cat-like ears perched on top of his head.

"Hello, little girl." Claus said. They had come into her sight so abruptly that she screamed in fright. When she calmed down she said, "Oh, it's you Claus."

Both Vivi and Tsubaki ran towards the scream. "What do you want, Claus?" Vivi demanded. "Did you not get enough last week?"

Before he could answer, Hana said "Tsubaki, this is Vivi's friend, Claus."

Angrily in medium height demon asked, "Who are you calling Vivi's friend? I really cannot stand you, Vivi. You always wear your fringe in such an unsightly manner!" He then breathed in deeply and making himself calm down, he smiled wickedly and continued. "But I am going to have my revenge today!"

"You have revenge on me?" Vivi asked amused.

"Oi!" Tsubaki called, "Who's yah friend with the cat ears, Claus?"

"Do not use my name so casually, woman." He replied on a huff. There was nothing she hated more than being called woman. She was about to insult Claus when Vivi spoke up.

"His name is Michel." Vivi said in an irritated tone. He uses cats and is known as the Cat Baron. His castle is a cat haven and he keeps himself cloistered there and does all manner of cat-related research." Sighing he added, "All this talk about cats is putting me in a bad mood!"

"Oh! I am honoured that the Great Vivi-sama has heard of me." The Cat Baron purred.

"Go home, Claus and take that idiot with you! If you are here to get me to go to that stupid party, then forget it!"

"I am sorry, Vivi-sama, but that just will not do." Pulling a vile from within his cloak, he opened it and threw it at Vivi.

Vivi easily blocked it, but the contents spilled out unto his arm and Michel laughed heartily. "You let your guard down, Vivi-sama. That is a very potent catnip formula that I spilled all over you." Opening his cloak, about thirty cats came tumbling out to which he commanded, "Go now, get Vivi-sama." Laughing again he added, "Happy Birthday, Vivi-sama."

"Oi! Wait!" Vivi shouted as he ran away from the cats. Spreading his wings, he took flight and perched himself on the chandelier as the cats meowed and mewed from the sofas, the ground and the mantle. It was then that Hana realized that Vivi was afraid of cats and thought _No wonder he wanted to kill Mr. Cat_, as she named the little animal she had in her grasp.

Claus was laughing at the sight. "So the rumours were true! Vivi-sama is petrified of cats!"

"What rumour is that, Claus-san?" Hana wanted to know.

"Well, when Vivi-sama was a young student..." he began

"Oi, Claus!" Vivi tried to stop him.

"Come down and try to stop me, Vivi!"

"Hana, leave. I am going to teach these demons and cats a lesson."

"Vivi! You can't kill the cats!" Hana said.

Vivi gave up. He did not want Claus to reveal what had happened to him when he was just 8 years old. He did not want Hana to know that he secretly had an extreme phobia of cats. Claus continued, "When he was a student, he would skip class and one teacher became extremely angry and she decided to punish him. Sealing his demonic powers, she tied him up in a torture hall..."

"Claus, I swear that I am going to rip you apart." Vivi said ruthlessly.

"She soaked him in catnip fluid and then released a hundred cats into the hall. Can you imagine what that would have done to a small child? Even with his regenerative powers the feel of hundreds of claws and teeth gnawing and scratching away at you. The next morning he was released, but he had already fainted by that time."

Hana could not speak. _How could they do that to a child? Evil!_ Immediately she pounced on Michel and knocking him over said, "Don't bully Vivi!" while hitting him on his arms that came up to cover his face. "Call the cats off."

"Hana! Don't get close to demons you don't know!" Vivi roared.

Claus was about to pick Hana up from Michel when Tsubaki grabbed his arm. "Don't even think about it, Claus!" Her grip was surprisingly strong and he struggled to get away from her. _What the hell? Isn't she just a human?_ He thought.

Just then Velten and Eleanor walked in. "Claus!" she shouted, "Why are you here again?"

Vetlen began to laugh and said, "Seems like Hana saved you this time, Vivi!"

"What did you say, Velten?" He demanded.

Hana got up from Michel and smiled up at Vivi. It did not take Velten and Eleanor long to restrain both Claus and Michel and since they wanted to interrogate them, Vivi sent Hana and Tsubaki out of the room. "With flaming black auras and a foot on Michel's and Claus' head respectively, Vivi and Velten asked them simultaneously, "What is the meaning of this?"

Meanwhile Hana and Tsubaki decided to go back into the gardens. Suddenly, Gilbert appeared before them. "HANA RUN!" Tsubaki screamed. Hana instantly obeyed to quickly made her way back to the house, but she did not get far. She came face to face with a flurry of white hair and then a hand holding cotton was clasped over nose and mouth. Hana could smell something sweet as she felt her eye her lids grow heavy and then she was knocked unconscious.

"That was a grave mistake, Tsubaki-sama." Gilbert said calmly, drawing his sword.

Whispering an enchantment, Tsubaki summoned a naginata and took on a battle stance.

"Ahhh. I see." If it was not for the lack of emotion he displayed, Tsubaki would have sworn he was amused. "This is why you had no fear of me. You are a weapon-summoner, a witch." He stated like fact.

She smiled. "And a very powerful one at that, Gilbert." She said, losing the lazy way she normally spoke, to address the adversary in front of her. "You are not getting Hana without a fight." They bowed at each other and then Gilbert said,

"I hope that you are prepared to die, witch!"

"I hope you are too, demon!" she replied saucily.

She rushed into him then and Gilbert found that he was incapable of moving. _So she cast a spell in me already? Her speed is quite impressive for you human witch. It will not do her any good though._

Tsubaki's eyes widened as Gilbert parried her attack. _ So he broke the paralysis spell already? He is as strong as Eleanor said! _She thought with a feeling akin to admiration.

Spinning around she aimed for his midriff, but he nimbly twisted away and immediately appeared behind her. He was about to cut her diagonally across the back when she placed her weapon between her and his blade, blocking his attack and jumped way from him.

"Did you really think that your spells would be enough to hold me, Tsubaki-sama?" he taunted her.

Ignoring him, she struck out at him again, but Gilbert easily blocked and parried. She realized that in the state she was in right now, he would easily defeat her. But she could not risk showing him her true power... Not yet. She was glad that she chose the naginata instead of a sword since its length kept him away from her and he was unable to use his superior strength and weight to overpower her.

She swiped at him using a low cut with knees bent and then quickly and elegantly struck high. But again, he agilely blocked her attacks. _This isn't getting me anywhere! I will have to use..._ But then Gilbert did something completely unexpected. When she tried to strike him again, he did not block, but rather caught the naginata. She watched in horror, as he held on to the weapon as blood soaked through his white glove. Then suddenly she was being pulled towards him as he powerfully yanked her weapon, which she was still gripping, towards himself. Releasing his sword, he broke her weapon in two with his bare hands, and held her tightly against his body.

For a moment, Tsubaki was so shocked that she could not move. Then as he began to whisper in her ear, she recognised the spell, _Dammit, he's putting me to sleep_. She began to struggle against him furiously, but his strength was something she could not match. His arms were like bands of iron and before his incantation took full effect, she realized something. _For a cold man, _she thought as she drifted off to sleep_, his body is so very warm. _

Instead of laying Tsubaki on the ground, he hoisted her up bridal style. _I want to know more about this woman. It has been centuries since there have been a human witch of this calibre... and reckless abandon. To openly challenge a demon of my status... and why is she associated with Hana-sama? I wonder what Lucifer-sama would think of this? _Gilbert wondered to himself as his accomplice joined him. In her arms she carried Hana.

"Are you also taking this other human, nii-sama(polite way of addressing an older brother)?" the demoness asked, smiling. "I saw her challenge you. How very brave... or maybe very stupid!" She was delicately shaped and of medium height, but shared the same long, white hair and green eyes that her brother had. Despite her display emotions, anyone could see that she was closely related to him.

"Yes, Davinia, she will accompany us. She may provide me with some answers." Gilbert then commanded, "Let us depart. Lucifer-sama awaits." He quickly opened a black, bubbling portal and as the demons spread their wings, they jumped down through the doorway into the Demon World.

Not knowing what was going on, Vivi, Velten and Eleanor listened to explanations. "We were given orders by the elders to make sure that you attended your birthday party," Claus said, his voice muffled as his lips were pressed into the ground, "since you did not answer the message they sent two days ago."

"What message?" Vivi asked, confused.

"The black cat." Michel replied.

"What? The cat was only found this morning?" Then Vivi realized. "There is a spell on this estate. No cat can enter the manor without being carried in."

"There is also spell on the black cat. The message would have been revealed when you killed the cat." The Cat Baron continued.

"Those elders are sick!" Eleanor stated.

"I know! Using my lovely cats like that!" Michel said pitifully. "Why did you not kill the cat, Vivi-sama?"

"That..." He remembered Hana and Tsubaki this morning. "What did the message say?" he asked instead.

"It said that if you fail to send word that you would be attending, then something may happen to that little girl."

"Hana!" Vivi shouted as he raced out of the room to find her. But he could not feel her presence anymore. Instead he encountered the faint smell of a demon he recognized as, "Geezer's lapdog!" Turning back to his friends he said, "They have already taken her."

After she got over her shock, Eleanor asked "What about Tsubaki?"

"They may have taken her too." Vivi stated sombrely.

"Shall we go, then and get our princesses back?" asked Velten. But there was no need to ask. Vivi knew that now they had no choice.

**THANKS FOR READING! And don't forget, I want to hear what you guys think so please take a couple of minutes to comment. Next time we will be in the Demon World! **


	14. To Inveigle a Witch in the Demon World

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein. **

**Chapter 14: To Inveigle a Witch in the Demon World**

Tsubaki woke up to the gentle sound of a whispered spell. As she slowly opened her eyes, she focused on a shiny, silvery white curtain. When she fully regained her senses she realized that it was not fabric that was draped in front of her but hair. She then realized that on her ear she could feel the tender caress of a warm breath. Pulling back sharply, she shrieked, **"Gilbert!"**Being so close to him and feeling his breath on her skin made her blush instantly and her heart beat sped up. _Calm down! _She chastised herself. _He was simply waking me up with another enchantment_

Slowly he raised his head from alongside hers and standing to his full height, he said in a calm voice, "There is no need to shout, Tsubaki-sama. I am right here." He looked down at her with brilliantly flashing eyes and she realized that he was annoyed. "Please refrain from screaming. We demons have very sensitive ears."

"I'm sorry, Gilbert. I did not mean to scream. I was just startled." She really was sorry that she might have hurt his ears. She placed her hand and began to rub her eyes. She then noticed a back and silver bracelet fastened on her wrist. "What is this?" she asked holding her wrist out towards him.

"It is a bracelet that seals your powers. I want no surprises. You were holding back, this morning. For some reason you do not wish for me to witness your true power.

_Tch! So the bastard knew! He's a sharp one. I'll have to be careful of him!_ She thought. She looked around and realized that she was lying in a lavish four poster bed. There were black draperies, with gold thread mapping out blooming flowers, along two sides of the bed so that she could see nothing. But on the side at which Gilbert stood and directly in front of her the curtains were drawn and she could see that she was in a high ceiling room. The walls were white and decorated with a number of paintings that were partially shrouded in shadow. The walls met the ceiling with a beautiful and broad rope moulding and a single chandelier was the room's only source of light.

Tsubaki looked back to Gilbert whose features were softened by the room's soft and dim light. His hair was impeccably combed and on either side of the short path on the top of his head, his needle-straight hair arched away. Along his cheek two long tendrils of hair flowed down and the rest of his hair lay obediently on down his back. Her attention was then drawn to his green eyes and she realized that he was regarding her intently. Looking away, she blushed as she realized that she was staring at him. _He really is a good looking devil! _

As soon as she did, he took one of the chairs alongside her bed and he asked, "From where do you originate? It has been centuries since I have encountered or even heard of a witch of your ability."

"Would you answer me a question before I answer yours, Gilbert?" she was still looking away from him.

"I may... However, it depends on the nature of the question." He said in a level voice.

"Where am I and where is Hana?"

"That is two questions, Tsubaki-sama." He sounded like he was teasing her and so she looked up at him. But his face was expressionless. "I shall answer one question and then you must answer one of mine. We shall trade questions and answers." Pausing shortly he said, "You are in the demon world, in my castle. Now, answer my question." He commanded.

"You carried me here?"

"That is a third question, Tsubaki-sama. Answer my question before asking another."

"I am from ***town, where you met me. Now answer my second question."

"Not yet. That answer is unsatisfactory. I do not need to know where you reside. I want to know where from where you and your power originate."

Tsubaki breathed out noisily through her mouth. I wonder if he would be able to determine whether or not I am telling the truth. Her hesitation made him remark. "Please also refrain from lying. It is extremely difficult to deceive me."

_So if I don't tell him the truth, then I won't be able to learn about Hana-chan. I also risk angering him and my powers have been sealed._ Twisting her lips she replied grudgingly, "I am the reincarnation of a powerful witch. One who first walked the Earth ten centuries ago."

He raised one of his eyebrows minutely. He was impressed. "Hana-sama is in another room, not unlike this one. She is currently being attended to for she has to get ready for the birthday party."

"What is your true name?" He asked her. She looked up at him. His gaze was so intense that it seemed that he was peering straight into her soul.

Looking away again she begged, "Please, do not ask me that! If you were to know my name, then you will also know of my shameful birth."

"Do you really believe that I care how you were born? That is of no consequence!" his voice was grave and she thought that he was speaking the truth. "It is not the fault of a child, how it is born. What is your true name?"

"I... I" she turned away. His words made her feel a little better, but it did not change her heritage. Her mother was an enchantress that ensnared her father to learn his spells and secrets. Tsubaki was ashamed that she was part of a brazen ploy to acquire more power. There was no love in her mother's act, and her mother had shown no love to her. Her birth was simply a way in which her mother kept her father enslaved until she learnt all his magic; finally entombing him in a cave until his death. "I was once called Nimue."

"You are the daughter of Merlin and The Lady of the Lake?" His eyes widened in astonishment. It was the most emotion she has ever seen him display. She nodded to indicate that he was correct. Holding back a smile, Gilbert commented almost to himself, "Amazing that you should appear on Earth at this time."

Hoping to get away from the subject of being on Earth, she hastily asked again, "Will you answer another question?"

"Yes."

"Will you, please let me go to Hana-chan?" she asked desperately.

"That sounds more like a request than a question." He sounded amused, but again he was expressionless. All trace of his earlier astonishment was gone.

"Gilbert, please. Please take me to her. I must know that she is alright!"

"I will take you to her, on the condition that you answer my next question." Tsubaki swallowed a lump that had risen in her throat. She knew what was coming. "Why have you been reborn at this time? What is your purpose?"

"How could I possibly know that, Gilbert?" she evaded the question.

"In the same way that you knew of your previous lives." He stated mater-of-factly. "You have many talents and skills, Nimue. One of them lies in the ability to draw on the past. Hence you can recall all your past lives. Another one of your the gifts is that of prophecy. What is it that you do not wish to tell me?"

"You sure do know tons about me!" she said angrily.

"Answer my question," he threatened, "or you will not see your precious friend ever again." His tone was dark and dangerous.

"Only on the condition that you do not tell your master."

He was about to protest when she added, "At least not yet. It is imperative that he does not know. I will tell him, but now is not the time!" Pausing she continued gently, "Please, Gilbert... I mean you and your Lord no harm."

Gilbert sighed heavily. "You risk much. My station requires me to tell Lucifer-sama everything I learn. If I am to withhold information from him..."

"Then give me your word, then. Your word that what I tell you shall not be shared until the appropriate time." Tsubaki pleaded. "I know that you will not break your word."

Gilbert almost laughed. Almost. How many years had it been since he wanted to laugh. _What an interesting little specimen._ "You believe that a demon would keep his word? How preposterous!" He turned away from her.

"No, Gilbert. I know that you will keep your word." Teasingly she added, "As you said, I have many skills. Despite what you want people to believe, you will keep your word when it is given."

"Hmph! Now you think you know a ton about me."

"No... I cannot claim that. But I did read your aura the first time I saw you. You are a demon, but I was surprised. A demon who believes in order and honour." She complimented on a smile, "You really are unparallel."

He looked back at her then to see her smiling warmly at him. "And so are you, Tsubaki. To even think of trusting a demon and smiling at me like that. You too are very unusual. But, of course, you have lived many times over and retain all your memories, so I suppose you fear little or nothing." Pausing to seriously consider her proposition he then said, "You have my word. I will not share what you are about to tell me."

Taking a deep breath, Tsubaki replied. "During the end of my last reincarnation, I foresaw something. A time of great cataclysm is nearly upon us. If left on its own, the World of the Angels, the Demon World and the Earth that is caught in between will all be affected. It could potentially destroy us all. The key to stopping this event lies with Hana and Vivi. I came back to Earth with another to guard her and guide her to her destiny.

"Were you sent by the World of the Angels?"

_This demon is too sharp! This is exactly why I said came back and not sent back. But I have already told him so much that I might as well continue._ "Yes... but I myself am not an angel. I have angel like powers. I was bestowed with increased strength and an extremely long lifetime, but I am not an angel. I am at the core, and always will be a sorceress."

Getting up from his chair, he said, "I will take you to see Hana-sama. However, first you must shower and change. You will be allowed to attend the party with her. I will send someone with clothes from which you can choose whatever catches your fancy."

"Gilbert... What will you do now that I have told you this?" She moved to get up off the bed.

"Seeing that I gave you my word and that you did not disclose the entire story to me, I will keep this between us for now."

"Hmph!" she said indignantly. "So you knew that there is more! You really are something else!" she said as she stood up.

"I too was a user of magic, Nimue. I was once a gentleman magician and alchemist who sold my soul to Lucifer-sama for more power and knowledge and so was reborn here in the Demon World."

"You were Faust?" It was a question stated it like a fact. "I guess not all fiction is fiction."

"Yes... Well, I could say the same of you."

Tsubaki looked down at her clothes and frowned. _I'm all messed up!_ Then she saw a patch of blood on her side. _Gilbert... Oh yeah, he hurt his hand!_

"Gilbert, y-your hand. Let me see it... Are you still hurt?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"That is unnecessary. It has already healed."

"Really?"

"Demons have great regenerative abilities."

"Oh... of course!" she was a little disappointed that she could not do anything to help him.

"I will send someone to help you prepare." He paused and then he said, "You should wear your hair naturally and down for the party."

"What?" she asked. "My natural hair?"

"Yes, you cast a spell on it right? That short black crop you wear is not your real hair is it?"

"You really are a piece of work." she said, but with a slight smile.

"Lift, the spell." He commanded.

"You sealed my powers, mister!" she replied hotly.

"Then allow me to." He approached and she backed away from him.

"No, please don't! I... I don't want you..." She left the sentence unfinished.

"Why ever not? Do you not like your natural hair?"

Tsubaki turned away from him and said sadly, "No, I hate it! The colour is awful and I am always teased because of how curly it is!"

Gilbert sighed inaudibly and approaching again he said, "Look at me, Tsubaki." When she did as bidden, he crossed his hands above her head and uncrossing them, he passed it over her hair, lightly touching it. Instantly her hair regained its natural form and hue. She had bright auburn red hair that coiled in large, lush spiral curls down to her waist. Taking one of the shorter curls that hung near her face, he gently tugged at it. It straightened and then he released it so that it bounced back into place. "This hair suits you, Tsubaki-sama. Look at the way it moves. It is as if it has a life of its own. It is alive... As alive as you are. Besides," he added dropping his voice to an almost seductive tone, "It really is quite beautiful."

"Gilbert..." was all she could manage. He did not think that her hair was ugly. Instead he complimented her and she blushed brightly. She felt her cheeks grow hot and she turned away from him embarrassed.

"Now you match your hair." He sounded amused again, but his face gave nothing away. Looking at her for another brief moment as her blush deepened, he said again, "I will send someone to help you get ready." He turned away then and exited, closing the door softly behind him. As he walked down the corridor leading to Hana-sama's room he thought about what he had just learned. _To think that I have caught the great Nimue... Hmmm.... That story of hers. She spoke the truth but I know not what to make of it. I will not break my promise yet... I shall gain her trust and inveigle her slowly. I am a little out of practice, but all women adore compliments. Judging from her reactions, she already finds me attractive. I do not know why though! No other woman I know shows me any interest. There is much more that I have to learn. When I have a clear understanding of what is truly going on, I will report to Lucifer-sama. _Deep down Gilbert did not like using her attraction for him as a way to gain Tsubaki's trust and deceive her. He was, betrayed and abandoned by the woman he loved. But it was so many years ago and for the good of Lucifer-sama, he was prepared to do anything.

**THANKS FOR READING! I wanted to give Tsubaki her own chapter, so I apologize for not having Hana and Vivi in it. **

**ANYWAY... I would love to hear what you guys think so take a couple of minutes, and please comment. Next time: the whole gang will be back in Party in the Demon World. **


	15. That Which is Irreplaceable

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.**

**Gomenasai... I forgot to thank JennyKim 319, Nanaga and Masterdestroyer3245 for their reviews! THANK YOU guys! You are WONDERFUL!!! OK Here we go...**

**Chapter 15: That Which is Irreplaceable...**

When Gilbert left, Tsubaki went back to the bed and sat down thinking about what had just happened. She had pulled her hair back and tied it in a messy bun. Something she always did when she wore her hair down in its natural state and she was worried. Her thick, heavy hair always seemed to become an encumbrance when she needed to ponder a serious or potentially dangerous situation. She wanted it up off her back! _Did I do the right thing? Why do I feel like I can trust Gilbert not to tell Lucifer? Am I allowing my feelings to get the better of me? What is the worst thing that could happen if he was to report to his master? Maybe I should try to invoke a vision. But with this stupid bracelet would it be possible at all? Not to mention the fact that being in the Demon World might dampen my ability all on its own._ Thoughts like these raged through her mind until she heard a knocking on the door and a "Tsubaki?" The voice sounded like Hana's.

"Is that you Hana?" she asked. If Gilbert kept his word, she had expected a maid or someone who would help her dress appropriately for Vivi's birthday party, not Hana. She could not believe it! He was allowing her to see Hana so soon? _Maybe I didn't make a mistake in trusting him!_ As soon as the door opened someone rushed to her.

"Tsubaki!? You're alright!" she said in a relieved voice, tears threatening to fall out of brimming eyes.

Tsubaki opened her arms in response, hugging her. "Yeah, silly!... Now, now Hana, don't ya cry!" She resumed her relaxed, lazy speech pattern that Hana was used to.

Sniffing she replied, "I'm sorry, I can't help it. I was so worried about you!" She looked up at Tsubaki who was a few inches taller than her.

"Never apol'gize for bein' Hana." she smiled at the brown haired girl.

Pulling back a little to get a better look at her friend, Hana asked, "Oh... what happened to your hair?" She only just noticed.

"It's what my hair really looks like."

"Eh? How can that be? It grew, got curly and is RED!"

Tsubaki cringed at the way Hana said the word red. _I guess Gilbert is the only one who thinks that this hair of mine is beautiful. Stupid demon!_ "Well... uh, ya see..." _How am I going to explain that I am a witch and that I put a spell on my hair? I don't really want to lie to her. She was truthful to me when she told me about Vivi for the first time! I have already kept her in the dark on so many other things. Things she can't know... Not yet! _

Hana looked up at her friend expectantly and pulling away from Tsubaki she asked in an alarmed voice, "Did they do something to you?"

"No, no!" Tsubaki insisted. "Well... ya see I always wear a wig." She immediately wanted to bite her tongue off the moment she lied. She knew that Hana would accept anything she told her. She would never expect her best friend to lie to her.

"Oh, ok." Hana was so trusting!

"Nah, Hana... I lied. There is somethin' that I need to tell ya."

"You lied? About what?" Hana was confused.

Tsubaki sighed loudly and said, "Hana, I'm a witch. I'm capable of performin' magic. Usually when ya see my hair in a short, black form it's an illusion."

"You're a witch?" Hana frowned. "Do you mean that you have powers like Vivi-sama?"

"Somethin' like that. But I'm not a demon. I used to live a long time ago, and I have been reincarnated. The hair ya see now is my real hair."

Seeing that they were in the Demon World, surrounded by maybe hundreds of supernatural beings, Hana could not disbelieve her. "Why didn't you tell me?" Hana sounded hurt. "You know everything about me!"

"I didn't think that you would believe me."

"Even after I told you about Vivi?" Hana demanded angrily.

"Hana-chan... I..." Hana had a point there! How was Tsubaki going to explain away that one? "Hana... I didn't want ya to be afraid of me... And I also didn't want ya to think ill of me. Not everyone likes witches, you know."

"But aren't I your best friend? Your nakama?" she was in tears again.

"Hana..."

"NO!" Hana interrupted. "Don't keep things from me again, Tsubaki!"

"OK." _But you aint ready for the res' of the story,_ she said to herself. _I will let ya know gradually, but when we have escaped from here._ "But I want ya to know that I have a right to be 'fraid of telling people 'bout myself. I was burnt at the stake in a previous life."

"WHAT?" Hana was appalled.

"Yeah..." _That's not all they did to me._ She did not want to recall anymore.

"I'm sorry that I was angry..." Hana felt ashamed of her outburst.

Tsubaki patted her on the head. "Ya as cute as a puppy!" she smiled.

"I would rather be a cat!" Hana chirped.

Tsubaki laughed, "A'right... Ya as cute as a kitty."

Hana smiled and asked suddenly, "Why do you put a spell on your hair?"

"Well, as ya can see," she started as she let it out of the bun she had so unceremoniously put it up in, "it really is quite horrible looking."

"I think it's really pretty!" Hana declared. "I have never seen hair this colour. It's even different from Toni's. Besides it suits your personality. It's fiery!"

Tsubaki was at a loss for words. Did she just repeat, more or less what Gilbert had said? Before she could offer a reply, there was another knock on the door, "Tsubaki-sama, may we come in?"

"Oh... it's Davinia-san!" Hana said happily.

"Who?" Tsubaki asked.

"Gilbert-dono's sister..."

"_Gilbert's sister?"_ Tsubaki chocked out. _What the hell? It's like a reworked version of the Adams Family!_

"Yeah! Let her in, Tsubaki. She let me in to see you and left to get clothes for you." Hana continued cheerfully.

"Come in." Tsubaki said to the person on the other side of the door. As she watched the doorknob turn and the door open she asked, "Yeah... that reminds me. Gilbert said tha' ya were gettin' ready. Why 're ya still dressed like that?" She indicated to Hana's outfit that had not been changed since they were kidnapped.

"I refused to get ready unless you were allowed to get dressed up and attend the party with me." She smiled and then added, "Besides, I couldn't decide which dress to choose."

Tsubaki laughed. "Ahh... so you want me to help ya chose?"

Hana laughed in response and then said, "You will soon see why!"

Gilbert's sister came in to the sound of laughter. Following her were two demon maids who had numerous dresses draped over each arm. Carefully they laid each of them on the bed as Davinia introduced herself to Tsubaki who sized her up. She was couple inches shorter than Tsubaki's 5ft 9 inches and had a delicate structure, pale skin and pointed ears. Her hair was the same colour as her brother's, but was worn up in a large roll, to reveal the throat so white and faultless that it appeared to be made of alabaster. Hey eyes were green, but like her lips were animated with emotion so unlike Gilbert's that seemed perpetually calm and inexpressive. She was dressed in a bright midnight green, long sleeved princess line dressed that hugged her body from the shoulders to the hips, and opened into a layered and intricately ruffled skirt piece below that. There was one simple drapery added from which gold and white tassels hung above the ruffles.

"I am Countess Davinia. I believe that know my brother, Gilbert-sama." She bowed politely to Tsubaki who returned the gesture.

"My name is Tsubaki, and I guess that, until you release us I will be your unwilling guest." She answered taking the trouble to properly articulate her words.

Davinia smiled, showing a row of perfectly white teeth with very pronounced canines. "I saw you challenge ni-sama, Tsubaki-sama." She said teasingly. "It has been quite a while since I have seen anyone do that!"

"You challenged him?" Hana asked in a scared voice. "Tsubaki!"

Ignoring Hana's outburst, the sorceress replied to the demoness in front of her, "I had something I wished to protect."

"Hmmm so you did..." She said simply. Tsubaki thought that the conversation was ended too prematurely, but then the demon said, "Now, would you two please choose the dresses that you would be wearing this afternoon?"

Hana and Tsubaki turned to the bed then to see twenty or so dresses of various colours laid out before them, each as beautiful as the next. "How am I going to choose? These Victorian era dresses are much too beautiful to just choose one!"

"See?" Hana said laughing again, "I told you!"

Each of the maids then placed an hourglass corset on the chairs next to the bed. "Oooo... I can't wait! I haven't worn a corset in such a long time!" Tsubaki said when she saw the body moulding garments. Looking over to Hana she asked, "This will be ya first time in a corset, eh Hana-chan?"

"They look painful!" Hana declared.

"Yeah..." laughed Tsubaki, "but they're gonna look sinfully sweet on ya!" She said that because Hana was nicely rounded and using a corset would amplify her luscious curves. Hana, on the other hand always felt like she was chubby. Chubby, however, was not the right word to describe her. She was voluptuous rather than slim like Tsubaki, and although she would never admit it out loud, when she went out alongside her friend she always felt a little self conscious about not being slimmer.

Tsubaki was so excited that she was showered and ready in record time. Taking Gilbert's advice, she elected to wear her hair down while the maids combed Hana's hair into a beautiful series of smooth loops and curls piled high up on her head. When they were done Davinia took a vile out of her purse and told them, "I have to place a drop of this on each of your heads. It will mask your human scent so that no one will be able to tell that you two are not demons."

"Do we stink to you?" Tsubaki wanted to know.

"No, but you do smell different. In fact the two of you smell like flowers. At first I thought that you two were wearing perfume, but the scent lingers on you even after you bathe. It is quite odd! Most humans, while their scent is not really unpleasant, do not smell sweet." Davinia stated. Once the liquid was in place, they began to make their way outside to where Gilbert was patiently awaiting them. The first thing Tsubaki and Hana noticed was how dark it was. The only light was that from a crescent shaped moon, that despite its appearance actually produced enough light that it looked like an Earth sky that was overcast by storm clouds. "How long had I been asleep?" she asked Davinia.

"There is no sun here, Tsubaki. There is only a moon. It is actually only about 1pm on Earth. You were not asleep for long."

Gilbert was standing next to a six horse drawn carriage that would take them to Vivi's castle and Tsubaki's breath caught painfully in her throat when she saw him look at her. When he turned to them he only seemed to notice Tsubaki and allowed his gaze to slowly sweep over her. She felt like his eyes were physically caressing her body as he looked her over and she could feel her cheeks begin to heat up. _It's been a while since a man has looked at me like that! _She said to herself.

She was dressed in a lemon chiffon coloured sleeveless satin dress that clung to her body from shoulder to hip. Its simple square neckline that was bordered by delicate white lace in a ruffle pattern was cut just low enough to give a teasing view of her breasts whose size were exaggerated because they were pushed out and up by the corset she wore underneath. On her waist was a thin golden chain belt that drew the observer's attention to her already slim waist that now looked tiny because of the restrictive undergarment. Below the hip, the rest of the dress consisted of diaphanous layered lace overlaid on gently ruffled satin which continued along the dress's long train. She completed the ensemble with white shoes and opera length gloves, over which on her right wrist the bracelet Gilbert had placed there rested.

"Gilbert-sama!" Davinia cried out in disbelief. "Why are you not dressed for the party? Are you not attending?" He was still dressed in his outdoor wear of a long, unadorned, turtle necked jacket and simple slacks and long, sturdy white boots. Just like he was when he confronted Tsubaki.

"Davinia, you know that I am on duty for this event." He said.

Tsubaki thought that his tone was cold. _I must be imagining things, right?_ She asked herself.

"But certainly, Lucifer-sama could let you have _some_ fun!" she pouted.

"There will be no further discussion on this topic." He said his words so sharply that his younger sister obeyed instantly. He then helped Hana and his sister into the carriage nonchalantly, but when he took Tsubaki's hand to help her in, he covered the bracelet with his other hand. When he removed it, its black and silver colour was replaced by lemon-chiffon and white. Softly he said to her, "Now the bracelet matches your outfit."

She looked up at him. His thoughtfulness coupled with the gentle touch of his gloved hands caused her to blush. As he helped her climb into the carriage, it seemed as if he too was affected as his hand remained clasped on hers a second longer than was necessary. He almost seemed reluctant to relinquish his hold on her. Almost seemed...

Regaining his composure he quickly closed the door and said "Have a wonderful time." in such a flat tone that they wondered if he meant his words at all. As he then spread his wings and took to the air, Tsubaki watched him go and she could not help but feel a little disappointed that she probably would not see him at the party. _After I dressed up so nice! But he did hold my hand. _She almost sighed. _ Anyway,_ _he must be going to Lucifer's side_.

Davinia had been examining her brother and Tsubaki closely and did not fail to spot the way her brother openly stared at Tsubaki, how he held on to her hand, and the way Tsubaki coloured nicely. She smiled inwardly and said silently, _So... ni-sama is developing a crush is he? How wonderful! It has been 200 years since I have seen him moved by a woman. Long overdue..._

When the carriage began to roll towards Vivi's castle, Tsubaki looked back at Gilbert's. It was large and impressive, but it had a coldness and loneliness that made her never want to visit there again. Suddenly they were flying, as the horses produced expansive wings and rose high above the mountains where they were.

Hana could barely keep calm. She was about to see Vivi anytime now and she could not wait. It only took a few minutes, but to Hana it felt like hours. When they approached Vivi's castle, Davinia pointed it out to them. It looked as if it was as much as five times the size of the manor where Hana lived with Vivi, Toni and his fleet of maids and overlooked a gorge of a valley through which a raging river flowed. When they touched down, as soon as the footman opened the door, Hana rushed out.

"Hana-sama... your invitation!" Davinia called.

* * *

Vivi, Velten, Eleanor, and Toni were in the Demon World just minutes after Hana and Tsubaki were abducted. After dropping off Claus and Michal the Cat Baron's castle, still wrapped up like a pair of bad worms, they continued on to Vivi's castle. As soon as they arrived, Vivi and Velten were forced into wearing bracelets that sealed their powers. "What poor taste!" Vivi commented as they slipped his bracelet on. The key to unlock the bracelet, he was told, was placed around the neck of a certain Demon World cat that miraculously showed up at Vivi's front gate. "By order of the King." They said.

"That blasted Old Geezer!" was Vivi's response.

Velten and Eleanor were soon led away to a couple of the guest rooms, but the Duke did not seem to notice. All his thoughts were on Hana as all his attendants and servants, who could all easily sense the incredibly bad mood he was in, cowered away from him. He was so worried about Hana's safety that he did not even realize when he was ushered into his bedroom, which he had not been in for almost three decades, and guided into sitting on a low settee. There two footmen were trying to get him ready for his party. One was untying his shoelaces while the other was unbuttoning his shirt. When he did become aware of what was going on, he easily dispatched them by kicking one and punching the other. "Don't touch me! I will only allow one person to help me change!"

With his shirt hanging undone he violently jerked the door open and roared, "Toni! Where are you?"

Toni appeared and seeing his master in his semi-undressed state said, "Vivi-sama, how immodest! Please don't come out like that. You're no longer a child!"

Around them servants were whispering, "That's Toni for you. Chastising Vivi like a mother would!"

"Who are you calling a child?" Vivi asked angrily as he poked Toni in his head, but bending down he whispered, "Have you heard anything about Hana or Tsubaki."

"No, nothing."

Vivi's expression became even grimmer, if that was possible and then suddenly a demoness dressed in a black gown approached them. "You finally returned, Vivi."

"Rosemary..." but before he could say anything else she grabbed him and kissed him squarely on the mouth. Vivi's eyes widened in surprise, to be knocked back into consciousness from his daze when she said, "You know I hate to do that but, it looks bad if we never kiss." She wiped her mouth vigorously as if she wanted to rub the feel and taste of him away.

"What do you want?" Vivi asked hotly. She was not who he wanted to be kissing at this moment. There was a little human somewhere possibly in danger who he badly wanted... no needed to find.

"Hurry up and come back and marry me Vivi?" she stated in a displeased tone.

"You know, what you say and what you do are two completely different things. You have no interest in me, Rosemary." Vivi sounded bored. He wanted to get away from this woman and find out about Hana.

"Of course I have great interest in you!" she said smiling. "I want to become the wife of the great Vivi-sama so my ranking can increase!" Before she walked off she placed her hand on his arm and said. "Hurry up and give up on that charade of living on the surface, Vivi. If you don't you won't be able to vie for the title of Demon King!"

Vivi shook his head slightly in disgust and allowed Toni to lead him away into his room. He did not notice that round the corner three women, who although they were incapable of hearing what was being said, were silently watching what just happened.

Hana could not believe it... Vivi-sama... her Vivi-sama had kissed another woman! As she fought down the sick feeling that was building up inside her she asked softly, "Who was that woman just now?"

"That was Viscountess Rosemary. She is Vivi-sama's fiancée."

_"Fiancée?"_ Tsubaki was stunned. She quickly looked down at Hana. _She must be feeling..._

"Well, then," Hana said, forcing herself to sound happy, "Shall we go to the party?" Inside her heart broke a little. _He has a fiancée and he kissed me... __**He... he tired to make love to me?**_ she screamed in her head. _He had a fiancée and didn't tell me! He cheated on her and I helped him._ Hana was very angry with Vivi, but she was also equally disgusted with herself. _How could I be so stupid to believe that we could be together?... I... No... I won't think about it!_ She willed the crushing thoughts away and concentrated on proceeding to the ballroom. Hana's silence worried Tsubaki, but at this moment she knew not what to say.

When they entered the ballroom, Hana was awestruck. The room's ceiling arched so very high from the ground and was so large in length and breadth that, even with more than a hundred people there, it still looked unbelievably spacious. The walls were heavily decorated with gold and purple ribbons and bows and everyone was well dressed in Victorian outfits of various colours. On the near side of the room, there was a live band playing the most beautiful waltz, and on the far side was a series of steps that lead to a throne covered in the plushest purple velvet. It looked like a page out of a fairytale book.

Tsubaki, on the other hand, was not impressed. That is what happens when you have lied for five lifetimes already. All she was interested in was secretly looking around for a way to escape. She knew that Davinia would be keeping her eyes on her, so to disguise the fact that she was scoping out the room and all available exits, she said, "I wonder where Velten and Eleanor are? They must be worried sick! Would you allow us to speak to them?"

"Yes, you may." Davinia said simply. "Come," she then said suddenly, to Tsubaki's astonishment. "I will help you find them."

As she looked out at the large crowd that had already gathered, Tsubaki mused to herself, _Vivi must be really important!_ She then saw the mountain of presents piled high on a long table. There was not even anymore room, so that some were being placed below and alongside the table. _Yep! Pretty damn important! _There were also, by the look of their uniforms, military personnel stationed at every entry and exit. _Argh! Gettin' away just got trickier. Not to mention that my powers are still sealed. Damn you Gilbert!! I wonder if they did the same to Vivi and Velten? Eleanor too? _All this time, Hana remained silent and finally Tsubaki asked, "Hey, Hana-chan...you OK?"

"Yes." She sounded distant like her mind was elsewhere.

"There are your friends," Davinia said, "You may go speak to them, if you like. I will be nearby." She gave Tsubaki a hard **I'll be watching you look** and then left them, on their own, to mingle with some of the crowd.

"Let's go over and see Velten and Eleanor, Hana-chan!" Hana nodded wordlessly and followed Tsubaki towards their friends.

As soon as they saw the two humans, Eleanor and Velten pushed their way through the crowd to get to them. The four of them seem to coalesce into a large mass of hugs and tears and declarations of "I was so worried!", "I am so happy that you all are all right!", "Did they hurt you?"

But when Velten said, "Vivi is beside himself with worry!" Hana said something completely unexpected, "I don't think he is."

The demons were shocked and a few seconds of silence awkwardly passed before Velten asked, "Why do you say that?"

"I saw him kissing his fiancé." She stated in a flat tone.

"Oh, Rosemary?" Eleanor said, "Ah, Hana, don't worry about that! Marriages are arranged for all the high ranking demons. Just like for Velten and me. It doesn't mean anything. Even Claus has a fiancé."

"What do you mean, even I have a fiancé?" asked a disgruntled voice from behind them.

"What are you doing here, Claus?" Eleanor said as she placed him in a choke hold.

"Let go of me, you crude woman!" he said nastily.

"Who are you calling crude, you idiot?" she asked angrily as she began to pull his hair.

"OW! You're pulling it out by the roots. The ROOTS!"

Hana could not help but laugh at the comical scene. "Eleanor, you seem to be very familiar with Claus."

"Oh... didn't I tell you?" she asked as she momentarily stopped tugging his hair. "Although we don't look alike, we are actually twins."

"Really? But Eleanor you're so friendly, and Claus, well... you're... you're..." Hana was unable to insult anyone, even Claus.

Velten laughed and finished for her. "... not friendly!"

"Tch! Whatever, Velten! This from a man who abandoned his fiancé for fifty years!" he said.

"That's enough out of you, Claus!" Eleanor said sternly as she pulled his hair one last time before releasing him.

Then suddenly the music changed from a waltz to that of trumpets and drums. "Oh, Vivi must be coming." Velten said.

As they turned towards the podium, they saw Duke Vivi all dressed up in a black suite, a rich purple cloak with snow leopard fur trim draped over his shoulders. A large red, bejewelled crown lay on his head, and in his hand he held a long golden sceptre which top end terminated with a large shining ruby. He strode out proudly unto the raised platform to regally and elegantly take the throne. He looked out to the crowd who bowed to him with a dark look on his face. _Where is Hana?_ He thought. _Is she alright? If anything happens to her, I swear that I'll **kill **Old Geezer this time! I can't afford to lose her... I... She is irreplaceable! _

**Well that's all folks! THANKS for reading! **

**NEXT TIME: Hana meets a beautiful, curious child; Tsubaki shows Gilbert and company what she is really capable of; And Vivi and the gang make their escape...**


	16. A Cat, a Witch and a Little Lad

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.**

**Hey readers… thank you for wanting to read yet another installment. Special thank yous go out to Victoriette and Masterdestroyer3245 ****for their reviews! I am really excited for this chapter!**

**Chapter 16: A Cat, a Witch and a Little Lad**

Hana was mesmerized by the sight in front of her. There was Vivi strolling towards his throne in royal garb complete with crown and scepter. However, when she saw his expression, she could scarcely believe that it was the same Vivi who she had come to know and grown to love. His forbidding countenance and the sinister blaze in his eyes showed her that, in this place, he became an evil demon far removed from the kind man she knew on Earth.

A soothing waltz began and Vistcountess Rosemary approached the steps that led to where Vivi sat. "Rosemary is asking for a dance." Velten said.

"Hmph… only she would dare do that!" commented Claus. "No one else would want to be near him right now."

Hana watched as Vivi slowly descended the steps and taking Rosemary in his arms, he guided her to the middle of the dance floor. As he began to effortlessly lead her into a perfect waltz, Hana felt her heart clench painfully in her chest. She did not want to see Vivi hold another woman, but at the same time she could make herself turn away. She focused on the demoness. She was only a few inches shy of Vivi's height, and her statuesque figure was perfectly formed and well-proportioned. She had an impossibly small waist, full breasts and delicately flaring hips. Her fair hair was cut short, but that did not affect the great beauty of her face. Her large almond-shaped eyes looked teasingly up at Vivi and she kept her full, rosy lips in a seductive little pout. Her gown was as black as sin and had a corset top with a sweetheart neckline. The full skirt was elaborately draped and the base was covered with white and gold flowers. Her arms were covered to just above the elbow with white gloves and on her long, graceful neck she wore a black ribbon tied into a bow.

Because Vivi and Rosemary were dancing, it gave permission for everyone else to do the same with their partners, if they so desired. Since Hana kept her face impassive, Eleanor could not guess that she was becoming distraught with what she was seeing and so dragged Velten on the dance floor after threatening Claus not to leave Hana's and Tsubaki's side, but also not to harm them in any way.

Unpleasant thoughts began to plague Hana then. _She is so beautiful and so slim. Not like me! I wish I was thinner! She is so graceful and… They look so good together. I am only human after all; I could never compete with a demoness. Humans and demons were not meant to live together. We come from such different places… _As she thought back about how Vivi looked when he came out into the room she realized something else… _ I don't know Vivi at all! _Then suddenly, unbidden, and completely without her consent, tears filled her eyes and overflowed. Feeling ashamed, she quickly swiped them away, quickly trying to dry them. She breathed in deeply to calm herself and to cease the emotions that were welling up inside her, but she could not. Instead, her tears increased.

"Hey, what are you crying for?" Claus asked her roughly. Tsubaki who had moved away from them, to better study the layout of where they were, failed to noticed that Hana was silently weeping.

Suddenly a deep voice rang out over the music. **"Hana! You're here!"** It was Vivi, his voice a mixture of concern and relief. Immediately he let go of Rosemary and began pushing through the crowd towards her. Rosemary who was hastily abandoned was left with one question in mind… _Who is that woman?_

Not wanting Vivi-sama to see her tearful face, she hid behind the person closest to her: Claus, who said, "Hey! Don't use people as shields!" When the Duke reached them he asked, "Why are you crying?" he sounded bothered. Immediately he turned to Claus and angrily demanded, _"What did you do, Claus?" _

"Me? I didn't do anything!" he protested.

"It's nothing, Vivi-sama." Her voice clearly displayed her wretched feelings. "I just got something in my eyes."

His anger and frustration that had been building throughout the day suddenly broke loose at the blatant lie. "**What? Can't you tell a better lie than that?**" He was about to reach around Claus and pluck her out of her hiding place when abruptly Claus slapped his hand away and said,

"It's alright isn't it? She just has something in her eye. I am looking after her. Go back to your party, Vivi-sama. You don't want your guest to get too interested in Hana and find out that she is a human, do you?"

Vivi was shocked at Claus' action, but there was some truth in what he said. Causing a commotion now with his powers sealed could endanger Hana. Grinding his teeth together to stop himself from doing anything rash, he turned away wordlessly and returned to his chair, without even bothering to look in the direction of the woman he had just deserted in the middle of the hall, in the middle of a waltz.

Hana could not bear to be there anymore. Muttering to Claus that she wanted to go outside for some fresh air to clear her head, she left him and taking the nearest exit, she found herself in a courtyard situated at the rare of the castle. There were a few benches positioned here and there and finding one that was cozily placed against a tall tree, she sat down. Placing her head in her hands, she openly wept.

* * *

As Hana cried in the courtyard, Velten had hopped up to the podium where Vivi was, ignoring commands to get down. "Who are you?" Vivi asked rudely. He was in a horrible mood, which seemed to darken when he saw Velten in such good humour. He was in such high spirits that the air around him seemed to shine brilliantly.

"Oh, how cruel! It's your best friend!"

"I don't remember having an idiot for a friend." Vivi said darkly.

"Anyway, here." Velten said cheerfully handing Vivi a glass of wine.

"I could not see what was going on, but form the commotion I guessed that Hana was crying?"

"How would I know?" Vivi asked trying to seem unconcerned as he sipped his wine.

Looking back at Vivi, the Baron continued. "At least try to pretend that you are having a good time! Look at the mountain of presents you got."

"Tch! What do I care? They are just trying to suck up…"

Velten put on a knowing smile and asked mischievously, "Oh, I s-eee…. You are sulking because Hana-chan would not tell you why she was crying!"

"Shut up, you idiot!"

Ignoring Vivi, Velten said seriously, "Well, think about it. She was kidnapped, forced into an unknown place and separated from you. I guess she must be frightened and lonely."

Velten's words shocked Vivi to the core. _He's right!_ "Velten, go get Claus… no wait… who brought Hana here?"

"That would be Davinia."

_So Geezer's lapdog had his sister abduct her? What does Old Geezeer want?_ "Vetlen, go get Davinia."

Davinia gracefully bowed at the base of the podium and said, "Vivi-sama, you wished to see me?"

"Yes, where did Hana go?"

"She is in the courtyard. She needed some air to clear her head."

"Would you please take her home?"

"Vivi-sama, she was brought here under Lucifer-sama's personal orders. I cannot, unless I have his consent. I assure you that she has not been in any danger while she has been under my care."

"Get your brother and get consent, Davinia." he ordered.

"Vivi-sama, it is not that simple…"

"Please, Countess, I beg of you… take her home!" Davinia could not believe her ears. The great, proud Duke Vivi was begging? _How much does Hana-sama mean to him? _But she was moved and replied, "Hai, Vivi-sama. I will do as you ask." With that she turned away to find Hana. However, she knew that there was a reason Lucifer-sama wanted Hana in the Demon world other than bringing Vivi back. She would still have to get permission.

When Tsubaki saw Davinia approach Vivi's podium, she knew something was wrong. When she looked over to Claus she realized that Hana was missing. _Dammit, where did she go!? _Making her way back over to Claus, she asked where Hana was. When she got an answer, she quickly approached the exit Hana had used earlier. She was almost out when someone blocked her path. She raised her eyes to see a slim, well-built body clad in a seal brown jacket that reached mid thigh. Its shawl lapel and Grafton collar opened to reveal a white shirt above which a pale fawn bow-shaped cravat was help in place by a large brown and gold onyx pin. Hey eyes travelled up to a handsome, green eyed demon, with long, black hair tied back in a ponytail. Except for the hair he possessed an uncanny resemblance to someone she was acquainted with. "Gilbert!?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, Tsubaki-sama." Taking her arm, he directed her back into the ballroom.

"You look different."

"If I use my normal appearance every guest would know that His Highness is here. He does not wish for that." He said simply. "Please refrain from calling me by my name."

"Oh… uh…" She then realized that he was taking her in the direction opposite to that which she wanted to go. "I need to find Hana-chan. Let me go to her."

"She is in the company of someone who does not wish to be disturbed as he speaks to her."

Dropping her voice so that only he could hear her she inquired, "What? Someone? Is this someone Lucifer? Is she safe?"

"Yes, she is safe." He said simply. She was about to open her mouth to protest when he suddenly said, "Will you honour me with a dance, Tsubaki-sama?"

"_**A-a dance?**_" she sounded mortified. "You wish to dance with me?"

His eyebrows furrowed slightly at the sound of her voice. He was slightly embarrassed and it caused him to be more forthright that he intended. "I know that the idea of dancing with me is quite unpleasant, so feel free to decline." His voice almost sounded hurt.

"Oh, no… Gil… I mean." She realized that her reaction to his question made him feel bad and she wanted to quickly repair whatever damage she caused. Placing her hand lightly on his arm she looked up into his eyes so that he would know that she was being honest as she said, "Dancing with you is not unpleasant. Not unpleasant at all! I would be honoured to dance with you."

If it was anyone else, he would have smiled, but since Gilbert was well… being Gilbert, even in his disguise, he wordlessly took hold of her hand that still rested on his forearm and guided her to the dance floor. Holding her close, he took her breath away with the grace and ease with which he led her in a waltz. He thought about what Lucifer-sama had said to him, "Keep her friend busy. I do not wish for my time with Hana to have any interruptions." Gilbert may have been distracting Tsubaki, as ordered, by asking her to dance, but deep in his heart, he truly enjoyed having her in his arms if even for just a few short minutes.

* * *

Hana had not been sitting for a minute before someone politely asked, "Miss, why are you crying?"

Looking up in the direction of the voice, she saw the cutest little boy she had ever seen. He was maybe eight years old and on the opposite side of the bench. He was dressed in a navy blue child's three piece suit with a white double-breasted waistcoat, short trousers and long boots. His hair was parted above each of his eyebrows forming a long peak of hair that reached the bridge of his nose. He had large, expressive black eyes and below the left one there were two black stars tattooed against his fair skin.

_Where did this child come from?_ The sudden appearance allowed her to momentarily forget her worries as concern for the child overcame her. "Little boy are you lost? Do you want me to help you find your mommy?"

The child eyes narrowed and he started to stare at her in a really hard way. Hana did not miss how he was looking at her and became a little worried. _Did I say something wrong? _

"That's not your real form is it?" He said out of nowhere.

Becoming alarmed, she shot up from her seat and affirmed, "Y-yes… Hana is a demon!"

"That is not what I am talking about, because I won't be fooled by one of Davinia's potions. You are human, but there is something different about you."

_OH NO! He knows! I hope that I don't get Vivi and Davinia and Claus in trouble! What should I do?_ As she frantically tried to come up with something the child repeated his question.

"So… what were you crying about, miss?"

_Am I really going to tell this little boy about my problems? He asked me as if he could help me in some way. _His show of concern and his question calmed her and she sat back down. _"_Well… do you know Vivi?"

"Yes, I have known him since he was quite small."

"Eh? Even though you're small too?" When he did not answer, she shrugged and continued, "Well, I realize that I don't know anything about him. I didn't even know that he has a fiancée. Although he asks me lots of questions about me, he never talks about himself." She started to cry again. "It hurt so much to see him with another woman!" In between sobs she said, "I'm sorry. You're just a child, so you probably don't get what I'm saying. But I am such a bad person… I even cried on his birthday when I should have been celebrating it with a smile. But I just can't force myself to be happy."

"Oh… so it's that sort of thing?" the boy said in a dismissive tone.

"That sort of thing!?" Hana was annoyed and confused by how easily he seemed to reduce her concerns to nothing.

"Yes," he said as he got up from his seat to face her. "Do you not think that things like his past are trivial? All that matters is what he does now. And I would not worry about Rosemary either. Their marriage was arranged 25 years ago, and although they were acquainted with each other as students, they only met once since Vivi went up to the surface when she visited him there inform him that she was his new fiancée. You should have more confidence in yourself, miss. Think about it, Vivi has not visited Rosemary once in the last 25 years. Do you really think that he is in love with her?"

Well the boy had a point there. For a small lad, he sure did have a good grasp of relationships and emotions. His words touched her and she started to cry again, but out of relief instead. He leaned forward and with a handkerchief in his hand, he gently wiped her wet cheeks. "Oh, well," he continued, "I guess that it is only natural to want to know all about the person you're in love with."

"Eh?" _How did he know? Wow! For a little boy he's really good! _

He finished drying her tears and then said, "If there is something you want to know about Vivi, just ask him. I am sure that he will tell you. If you understand what I am saying, then hurry up and get back to the party and celebrate his birthday. Don't let that pretty dress and beautiful appearance go to waste!"

"Okay…" she said weakly.

"I'll be off too." He said smiling.

"Thank you… Your name?" but her question addressed an empty courtyard because the little lad had already disappeared. _How did that little boy know so much about me and Vivi? _

Just then Davinia approached her and said, "Hana-sama, I have just been granted permission to take you home."

"Oh… Hana can't leave yet. I still have to celebrate Vivi-sama's birthday."

"You wish to stay a bit longer then?" the demoness was a little surprised. Surely the human would want to return home!

"Yes, will that be okay?"

"Of course. Let us go back to the ballroom."

Vivi was sitting overlooking the party with a bore look on his face._ Good, Hana will be home soon. I wonder when they are going to remove this damn bracelet! They won't for quite a while. I wonder what Geezer was thinking when he sent Hana to my party. Is he taunting me by having her close to me, but at the same time keeping her just out of my reach? _Then as he looked in the corner where Claus was he saw a woman with long red hair that reminded him of Tsubaki and to the left was Hana smiling stupidly up at him. **"Hana!" **his heart skipped a beat. Rushing off his raised platform he went to her and said "Did Davinia not tell you to go on home without me? Where is she?"

"She's talking to Gilbert."

"Gilbert is here?" _Does that mean the Lucifer is here too? _

"Yeah, but his hair is black now."

"What?"

"Vivi," Hana moved closer to him to tightly clutched the front of his jacket with both hands and bury her forehead just above his heart, "Please, Vivi… I only want to go home if you're with me."

He wrapped one arm around her bringing her body close to his. "Alright! I understand. I just have to catch that stupid cat and…"

"If you mean Mr. Cat.. Then I already found him. He's right here." She said pointing at the floor next to her foot. There curled up in a ball asleep was the said cat.

"Hana, get the key from around his neck and give it to me."

When she did as he asked, he quickly undid the infernal bracelet. _Now we have a chance to escape… but there are so many guards here…_

"Hey," Tsubaki said, "Could you take my bracelet off too?" she pushed her wrist towards him.

"Why are you wearing a bracelet?" He wondered out loud. _Why in the world would they but a sealing bracelet on a human? Did Geezer and Gilbert go insane in the last 30 years or so? _"And what happened to your hair?" _Was everyone colouring their hair? _

How many times had she been asked that question today? "I'm not yur usual human. I'm a witch!"

"A what?"

"It's true Vivi!" Hana said hugging Mr. Cat to her breast.

Ignoring the hundreds of questions that he needed to ask Tsubaki he looked her wrist that she offered and took a look at the bracelet. "It is not the usual bracelet. A spell has been cast on it."

"Can you remove it?"

He laughed, "Yeah, no problem!"

When he did Tsubaki said, "There are six exits and entrances, but a total of more than fifty guards around them on the inside of this room. There are even more stationed just outside." Vivi was impressed. She knew more about the state of the room than he did. He had been so worried about Hana that he did not even take notice of his surroundings or formulated an escape plan. "You are going to need a distraction in order to escape without any problems. That is where I come in. Leave it to me. When you hear the sound of rushing water, run for that exit." She pointed to the far exit to the left.

"Rushing water? And why not this one?" Vivi asked indicating a much closer exit.

"Trust me." Is all she said and then she disappeared from their sights.

"Eh? Where did Tsubaki go?" Hana asked. Her friend had just vanished as she was looking at her.

"It's teleportation. It is very difficult for demon eyes to follow, much less a human. She is quite a powerful witch!" He smiled.

Tsubaki laughed to herself. She was going to have some fun. When she left Vivi and Hana, within 2 seconds she was overlooking the gorge located at the back of Vivi's castle. Jumping off the cliff, she increased her falling speed and changing her body into water, by using magic, crashed into the river. Thanks to the fact that she was the daughter of the Lady of the Lake, water magic was her forte and large bodies of water increased her power tenfold. She wrapped an enormous amount of water around her body. She then transported it up out of the gorge towards Vivi's ballroom with the swiftness of a violent river.

The guests began to whisper about what was going on and Rosemary was getting angrier by the second. "Who is that woman?" She was about to approach Vivi when suddenly she heard the sound of rushing water coming from outside. _How is that possible? _All the other guests were dumbstruck by the sound. Suddenly Hana and Vivi were running, hand in hand, towards the western exit. "Baron Claus!" someone shouted, **"Vivi is trying to escape!"**

Velten and Eleanor heard and they looked over to see the two culprits. Without a second thought, they tried to push their way through to get to them. Just then an enormous wave of water that almost reached the ceiling came crashing into the ballroom, demolishing windows and breaking doors off their hinges. As screams filled the room, Vivi saw Toni and said, "Toni hurry! We're getting out of here!" Toni followed them without question.

Tsubaki rode crest of the surging wave, so that she could see what was going on. She spotted Hana, Vivi and Toni who were just about to exit the room. She then quickly looked around for Velten and Eleanor who were being pushed back into the wall by panicking quests. Sending a large wall of water towards them, she gave it the appearance of a hand and deftly plucked them out from where they were imprisoned. She then picked them up high off the ground away from her massive wave and then proceeded to completely inundate the room. Every guest and soldier was swept away by the force of her water. No one could avoid it or escape it. She was smiling widely. It had been a while since she allowed herself to be this destructive and she was loving every minute of it.

In another part of the castle, Davinia watched on as Gilbert wrapped a cloak around the little boy's shoulders and asked, "Was your meeting with Hana-sama satisfactory?"

"Yes, it was. It was strange though?" he smiled.

"Strange? How so?" Gilbert inquired.

"Well, my conversation with her made me become even more curious about Vivi's relationship with her and why he insists on staying on the surface."

The way the boy smiled indicated to Gilbert that he was formulating a new plan to torture and bully Vivi. "Please, take it easy on the games. You are the King of the Demon World."

"Yes, I know."

The sound of the water and screams alerted Gilbert and Davinia that something was amiss. Before they left Lucifer-sama's side to investigate, their Lord said, "Vivi is probably escaping".

Taking to the air, the siblings decided to approach the room from outside the castle. They arrived in time to see Vivi balancing on the banister of a balcony with Hana in his arms. Claus was talking to him. "You cannot fly home, Vivi. Your powers have been sealed. That little girl is your weakness."

Vivi laughed and threw an open bracelet towards Claus. "My weakness?" Unfastening his cloak, he discarded it. "Don't you get it? When Hana and I are together, we're invincible!" Spreading his wings, he repositioned Hana into a bridal-style hold and jumped up into the air, closely followed by Toni.

"How did you… when did you?" Claus could not believe it! Then he saw that Hana was holding the cat.

Just then a surge of water brought Tsubaki, Velten and Eleanor out. "Vivi, I need the key!" shouted Velten. Vivi looked back and threw it to him. Getting rid of the bracelet, he turned to Tsubaki and asked, "Can you fly?"

"Not for long distances." She replied breathlessly. She had used up too much magic too quickly.

Velten grabbed Tsubaki, and with Eleanor alongside him, they took off to fly after his friends. Tsubaki had the strange feeling that they were being watched and as she looked around, she saw Gilbert and Davinia hovering silently above the porch. She smiled at them and blew a kiss towards Gilbert.

Davinia laughed at her actions while Gilbert cleared his throat like he had suddenly become nervous.

"Are you going after them?" she asked.

"No… I believe that Lucifer-sama got what he wanted from now. All he really wanted was a chance to meet Hana, and that was accomplished."

"But, nii-sama, capturing Vivi-sama would have been a welcomed bonus."

"Yes, that is true, but I think that His Majesty has another plan in mind for that." Gilbert said gravely. "This will not be the last time we meet them. For now, we let them leave."

"Are you excited about meeting Tsubaki again?" Davinia teased.

"She is a wonderful opponent." He said flatly.

"You know that is not want I mean, Gilbert!" she said hotly.

"No," he insisted, "I know not what you speak of."

Ignoring him she said, "I think that sorceress would make a good match for you."

"A match for me?" his voice became frigid and he asked angrily, "Have you forgotten, Davinia, that I am not fit for a relationship? Have you forgotten what happened to me two centuries ago? Have you forgotten what Mylicent did to me?"

"Nii-sama, Tsubaki-sama is not Mylicent and with the right woman, your condition…"

"We shall discuss this topic no further." Gilbert's voice was dark and forbidding.

"Yes, nii-sama. Please forgive me!" But she continued to consider the topic in her head. _So even after 200 years, you still cannot talk about Mylicent without getting angry. She still remains the only one who could get you angry. If that __**bitch**__ was not dead, I would make her suffer for the rest of her life for what she did to you. But rest assured, my brother, Tsubaki-sama has not entered your life without purpose! _

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to comment on this chapter! **

**Next time: **

**Hana confronts Vivi about him having a fiancée and Vivi only knows of one way to cease her fears...**


	17. Lessons That Must Be Learnt

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein. **

**Special thanks to Masterdestroyer3245 and Nanaga for reviews and Victoriette for the fav.**

_**Warning there is a LIME in this chapter. I did not mark it off because it is rather long.**_

**Chapter 17: Lessons That Must Be Learnt. **

Only when they entered the manor did Vivi and his band of friends feel safe. Everyone was exhausted and they all plopped down heavily unto the sofas in the sitting room, except Toni who said, "I will go get a light dinner prepared."

Tsubaki was invited to overnight at the manor. Not only because she was so tired from expending so much energy, but also because her host wanted to find out more about her. When diner was completed, Hana wanted Vivi to stay close to her, but also wanted some time away from him to think about Vivi's fiancée and what the little boy had told her. The way Vivi held on to her as he flew home proved to her that he cared deeply for her. He had also confessed that he had feelings for her last week. Was she being foolish? But she just could not get the gorgeous image of Viscountess Rosemary in Vivi's arms out of her head, particularly her graceful, lithe body. Hana looked down at herself and frowned. She never felt so fat in her life. True, growing up she had her fair share of body image problems, but tonight she felt particularly bad about her figure.

She slipped away from her friends and began to make her way to her room. She needed rest. Maybe after a good night's rest, things would look better in the morning. She stepped into her room and closed the door behind her. Going into her walk in closet she looked at herself in the full length mirror. She had dressed up, but Vivi did not seem to notice. She turned around and looked at her outfit. She was wearing a fitted pink lavender silk dress with sheer long sleeves and a long train trimmed with pleated rose coloured ruffles and white ribbon bows. Just under the hip were three layers of slightly ruffled drapery that was trimmed similarly to the train but with smaller bows. There was a long piece of smooth fabric that extended from her back down above the train that split into two parts along which decorative covered buttons were arranged and held together by a series of bows, beginning with a large one, below which each successive bow was smaller than the one above it.

_I guess it wasn't the best time for him to notice my outfit. Then why do I still feel disappointed? Then she thought about what the Viscountess was wearing. I guess my dress is childish compared to hers. I am not sophisticated enough! _She said to herself. Sighing she tried to unbutton the dress to get ready for bed. But she could not reach the top buttons. She would have to ask Tsubaki or one of the maids to assist her. Then someone knocked on her door. When she gave the order to come in, she saw Vivi enter the room, still dressed in his regal outfit. She swallowed nervously. She really did not want to be alone with him right now. Her feelings were still in taters and she was furious at him for not telling her he had a fiancée.

Vivi just stood there, looking at her. Not staring unpleasantly, but just looking at her with an unfathomable expression on his face. The all of a sudden he said, "Hana... I am truly sorry that you had to go through that!"

She did not want that kind of apology. It was not as if the situation was within his power to control. "Vivi-sama..."

"No, please... let me finish. I am also sorry that I neglected to tell you about Rosemary." And there it was... the topic she did not have the strength to confront tonight. "Please, I want you to know that I have no feelings for her. She is a fiancée in name only. I did not tell you because, honestly, I do not think about her that much. She is not significant to my life."

She could tell that he was being honest but in her anger she said, "But, that does not change that she is your fiancée, Vivi. I feel like I helped you cheat on her!" It was true. Hana felt guilty, even though she had no prior knowledge of Rosemary.

"Hana, did you hear anything I said to you just now?" His voice was exasperated.

"Vivi... can we talk about this tomorrow?" she pleaded. "I am really tired!"

"**No!"** he was becoming angry now. "We need to have this cleared up immediately!"

"Look, Vivi... I have come to realize that humans and demons were never meant to be together. We are from two completely different worlds!" Taking a deep breath she continued, "I saw you kissing Rosemary." Hana was near to tears. "How can you say you love me when you kiss other women?"

"Hana... she kissed me. I do **not** love Rosemary. She only wants s to marry me because of my high status. There is absolutely no love between us!" Vivi explained trying his best to remain patient.

"I don't understand why you like me though... She is so tall and beautiful and slim. She is a demon too. You two looked good together. You belong with your own kind." Hana let out all the frustration she felt over the course of the day on Vivi. She was being unfair to herself and to him, but her crushed feelings made her that way.

Vivi could not believe what he was hearing. _My own kind?_ "What nonsense are you spewing? So because I did not tell you about a woman who means **nothing** to me, you want to suddenly leave me?" He could feel his tolerance slipping away.

"Vivi, that isn't what I said. I just think that we have to be realistic... Vivi, in a few decades I will be..."

"**Hana!"** he shouted, **"Do not dare finish that statement."** The thought of Hana's death was too much to bear.

"Vivi...take a good look at me. Am I what you really want? I can't hold a candle to Viscountess Rosemary!" She began to cry openly now.

Pure rage filled him at those words. Vivi did not know that he could become so livid with Hana. How dare she think that he should be with Rosemary? How dare she think that she was inferior to Rosemary? How dare she insult herself like that? But he would not vent his feelings by hurting her. There were other ways to punish her for her stupidity.

"I see you need to learn a lesson, Hana!" he said darkly. "Shall I show you what I think about doing to you when we are all alone? Shall I show you what you do to me?"

Hana became afraid then. "Vivi, no... No, please d..."

He cut her off then, but not with words, with action. Roughly grabbing her by her upper arms he jerked her towards him and crashed his lips into hers. His use of force unnerved her and she began to struggle against him. But when he wrapped his arms around her back and waist and forced her lips open with his tongue, her body betrayed her. Her hands that were previously pushing against his chest and pulling at his jacket in the attempt to make him to stop wound themselves around his torso to pull him closer. She opened her mouth fully to him then and he immediately deepened the kiss.

Hana met his questing tongue with her own. After being separated from him for most of the day and having to endure the ordeal of being in such an unfamiliar place filled with unfamiliar people as the Demon World, her body was crying out for this connection. She needed to feel the security of his arms and proof of his love and desire for her. Waves of pleasure coursed into her heart and down her spine to radiate out into her body as his wicked tongue caressed hers. As they continued to kiss, she was not even aware that his fingers were undoing the buttons to the back of her dress until she felt a rush of cold air on her shoulders as he pushed the dress off them and down her arms. But she did nothing to stop him. The loneliness and sadness of this day made her desire for him so strong that despite being afraid of the unknown and despite the fact that he had a fiancée she wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Her dress lay on the floor around her feet. But Hana still felt fully dressed in a corset underlain by a full length set of pantalets and a camisole. Pulling away from her, Vivi broke their kiss to look down at her, his heart hammering away in his chest. Her eyes were still closed like she was caught in her daze, her face nicely flushed and her lips beautifully swollen from his kisses. Smiling, he gently cupped her face with his hands and began kissing her again.

Hana's heart was beating so rapidly, that it knocked against her ribcage. Her breasts felt full and heavy and the warmth that built up in her chest flowed to the rest of her body. She tried her best to match the movement of Vivi's tongue against hers and when she heard him moan against her lips, it encouraged her. While keeping her focused on his kisses, Vivi sneaked his hands around her back once more and began to undo the laces that held the corset together. He knew that he was treading on dangerous ground, but he did not want to stop... Not until she learned her lesson.

Hana felt the tightness around her torso disappear as the corset fell away from her body to join the dress. She gasped into his mouth when she felt Vivi's fingers begin to caress her breast through the soft fabric of her camisole and as her nipples pearled under his attention, her arms around him tightened. Vivi wanted her to touch him too. Pulling away from her, he quickly discarded his jacket and ruffled cravat. The loss of his touch caused her to protest. "Vivi..." she called out to him. Her voice was heavy with desire as she extended her arms out to him to pull him back to her.

Taking her hands in hers, he guided them to the front of her shirt. "Touch me, Hana..." he begged. From under heavy eyelids she watched him and obeyed. She was not sure what to do, but fanning her hands out she ran them up and down his chest, marvelling over the feel of the smooth fabric against the hard muscles she found there. Vivi shuddered under her caress and pulling her against him he began to kiss her neck, licking and sucking on the delicate skin there from time to time. He did not want to risk going too far, so he dared not remove any more of her clothing. Instead he bent his head and took one taut nipple into his mouth through the thin fabric, while one hand caressed the other breast.

She arched her body beneath his mouth, affording him better access to her breasts. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest as it pumped heat that his lips and hands transferred into her body to every cell. As molten heat gathered in her abdomen and lower, her legs suddenly felt weak and she had to grab unto his back for support. The feel of the wet fabric and his tongue against her nipples as he continued to suckle and lick caused her to lose her head. "Uhhh... Vivi!" she breathed out "Please, please... don't stop..." she implored. But Vivi knew that he could not do as she asked. If he did not stop now, the sound of her voice and her arousal would push him over the edge. It was too soon to claim Hana as his own. So reluctantly he raised his head from her breasts and bit down on the inside of his bottom lip until it bled to ensure that he remained sentient around her as he kept her in his arms.

"Vivi...?" Hana asked. Her eyelids fluttered open and when she tried to pull him back to her, he resisted. She was confused and she asked softly, "Did I do something wrong?"

He loosened his grip on her and he looked down at her. "No, Hana... You did nothing wrong."

"Then why did you stop? Don't you want me?" She took a deep breath before asking, "Is it because my body is ugly?"

_What the hell? Where did that come from?_ "Hana, why would you say such a thing?" He sounded dismayed.

"Well... I am fat aren't I?" She lowered her eyes to the floor, too ashamed to face him. "I wouldn't blame you if..."

Stopping her words by lifting her chin and a giving her a demanding kiss that left her breathless he then said in a husky voice, "Hana, you are so very beautiful!"

"Vivi..." his statement lifted her spirits, but because the haze created by their lovemaking had lifted from her mind, a truly beautiful face emerged. It was Rosemary's. Her heart sank again. "No, I'm not!" she said forcefully. "I'm fat and ugly!"

Vivi's brows furrowed deeply at her announcement. "Oi! There is nothing ugly about you! You are not fat... You are luscious!" Pausing, his voice became deep and dark with a dangerous undertone. "I see that you have not learnt your lesson yet."

"Lesson...? You said that before. Wha...?"

Again her words were cut off. "Do you want to know why I stopped?" he asked roughly. Before she could answer, using both hands he cupped her haunches and lifted her off the ground. Forcing her thighs open with his hips, he savagely pulled her body flush against his and wrapped her legs around his hips. By undulating his lower half a few times in a seductive way, his core of desire rubbed against hers. He soon realized that this was not a good idea, but Hana's word made him so mad that he did not know what else to do. Vivi's breath caught in his throat painfully and as his body began to tremble, he released a primal groan of lust.

Despite the layers of clothing that separated their bodies Hana clearly felt the rawest indication of his need for her against her woman place. As Vivi held her firmly against his brazen movements, he looked at her face in interest as it became deathly pale with shock and then blazed to coral red with embarrassment in a matter of seconds. Each time their hot centres met, a jolt of both pure and sinful pleasure shot up from where they were joined up their spine and into their hearts. Unable to think straight anymore Hana closed her eyes and moaned loudly in pleasure. "Vivi... ahhh...mmmm."

Oh... how he wanted to give in and bury himself deep within her. Oh... how he wanted her thrashing under him as she screamed his name. Instead, clinging to his last shred of control, he gently pulled her away and set her down on the ground. He had to hold her up, for her knees buckled under her. Taking her hand in his, he brought it up and placed it over his heart so she could feel how it was thundering away in his chest. He fought to get his breathing back to normal.

"Hana..." he said on a husky whisper, "If I did not stop then, I would not have been able to resist you. Do you understand now? Do you understand what you do to me? How could you think that you are not beautiful? How could you think that, in my eyes, you are anything less than perfect?"

Her pleasure filled brain slowly began working again and once it processed what he said Hana's eyes filled with tears as she hugged him back. She became ashamed of the words she had blurted out to him. "I'm sorry Vivi...I..."

"Hush, my darling. You did nothing wrong. I am the one at fault. I shall not keep anything from you again. If there is anything you wish to know, just ask me. I want no secrets between us." Mentally he cringed at his own words. There were parts of his past that he did not want Hana to learn about. _Would_ _she stay with him even after she finds out about Cassandra and what I did in retaliation? I become a murderous beast then. A true demon!_ If there was something truly called love then there was hope that she would. Little did he know that she already had some knowledge of what had happened twenty seven years ago.

"Ok." She said simply.

"Now," he said pulling away from her. "I am going to have a very cold shower and..." Hana laughed out then cutting off the rest of his sentence, and then slapped her hand against her mouth to stop herself when he glared at her. Thanks to having Tsubaki as a friend she knew exactly what he meant by 'cold shower'. "I do not find my situation to be that amusing, Hana." _It has been such a long time since I have been with a woman..._ he added silently. _My pants are uncomfortably tight right now!_

"I'm sorry, Vivi... but you said that in such a serious way." She started to giggle again.

"I was being serious!" he declared. _Maybe I should not have stopped. Then we could have had a hot bath together._ He thought. _I need to get out of here before I think of other things I want to do with Hana. _ But he was glad that he did indeed stop when he did. Until Hana knew about his past and accepted him, he would not take her. Her laughter transferred itself to him and with a lopsided grin on his face that she thought made him look irresistibly cute he said, "I am going to get ready for bed. I think that you should do the same."

"Yes, that's a great idea!" She said as exhaustion suddenly struck her. Nodding he turned away from her then. When he was just about to reach out for the doorknob she suddenly remembered something he had said earlier and so urgently she called out to him, "Vivi!" He faced her once more and she ran towards him and into arms he outstretched to receive her. Reaching up to his face, she pulled his head down to hers and gave him deep kiss. "I am never going to leave you Vivi... I... I don't know how I could! When I was separated from you today, I felt like I couldn't breathe!"

Pulling her as close as he could, "Ahhh, my little flower. My darling! You really are too beautiful for words!" Kissing her one last time he left her in her room with a big silly smile plastered on her face.

* * *

That smile seemed to survive nine hours of sleep, the brushing of teeth, a shower and a change of garments because as she went down to meet Tsubaki and Vivi for breakfast, she could not help but smile. Vivi was not there. Instead she found Tsubaki, Velten and Eleanor eating breakfast. One look at Hana's face Tsubaki began to laugh "So what's that stupid expression 'bout?"

"N-nothing!" Hana exclaimed. The last thing she wanted was to have her friends find out about last night. But her blush told them all they that something did happened.

Mercilessly, Tsubaki asked casually and quite innocently, "Sooo... you two finally gettin' it on, huh?"

Velten spit out the tea that he was sipping, Eleanor's fork that was on the way to her mouth fell out of her hand, and Toni who chose that time to walk in let the tray he was carrying with Hana's breakfast crash noisily to the floor. The three of them blushed hotly.

"**Tsubaki!"** Hana shrieked. "Wh-what are you saying?"

Tsubaki threw her head back and roared with laughter. "You guys are fantastic! What I would have done for a camera... Y'all faces were to die for!" She began laughing again as everyone else in the room tried to go back to normal.

"Oi! Would you idiots keep it down!?" said a stern but weak voice. As soon as Vivi walked into the room he staggered and fell forward.

"Vivi!" Hana screamed as she, and Toni rushed to his side. Tsubaki, Eleanor and Velten got up from their seats and followed suit to find Vivi unconscious. "His temperature is way up!" she said when she placed her hand against his forehead. "He has a bad fever!"

Once Toni carried Vivi into his bedroom, Velten examined him. "He has contracted a Demon World virus... I cannot remember its name though. But it is highly contagious and he will be sick for at least two weeks."

"Is his life in danger?" Hana asked going into doctor mode.

"No, but he will be slipping in and out of consciousness and delirious with fever." Velten replied removing his gloves. "Now, I need to examine everyone else for symptoms." Smiling broadly he added, "I think I will start with the maids!" His smile weakened when he saw his fiancée glare bloody murder at him. Turing away from Eleanor, Velten said, "Hana, it would be best if you looked after Vivi. You and Tsubaki are the only ones who will not catch his virus."

"Yes, I will take care of him." she said. Turning to the small group of friends she began to call out orders. "Toni, bring me a pitcher of water and a glass and also a bowl of cool water and a cloth." When he said yes and left she continued. "Velten, this room is now quarantined. I don't want anyone else to get sick, so take everyone out. Only Tsubaki and I will be allowed in." All the demons left, leaving Tsubaki and Hana alone with the sleeping patient.

"Tsubaki, could you make some of that soup you made for me when I had the flu? Whatever you put in worked to give me my strength back. I will try to get his temperature down."

"Sure... right away." The witch left a frowning and worried Hana to make the soup with a recipe that dated back centuries. Hopefully Vivi's kitchen would have all the ingredients. If not, she will have to go to the market and get some things. She would not settle for anything but the finest ingredients. She would do nothing but the best for Hana and anyone she cared for.

"Oh, Vivi!" she placed her hand against his cheek and bent down to give him a quick kiss on the lips. He stirred then and opening his eyes, he saw Hana's full of tears.

"What's wrong, Hana?" he asked hoarsely, his throat was dry. He tried to sit up and Hana helped him. She placed more pillows behind him to support his back.

She wiped her tears away. "Nothing... I just hate seeing you sick."

He smiled, "Silly girl! I'll be better in no time!"

There was a knock on the door and then Toni walked in with the items that she had requested. Placing them on a table in the far side of the room he asked, "Is there anything else you need, Hana-sama?"

"No, not right now. But I want you to make sure that no one enters this room, including you. I don't want you to get sick!"

Toni answered that he understood and left.

Hana poured Vivi a glass of water from a pitcher and handed it to him. "Hello, my name is Dr. Hana, and I will be your physician until you recover." She repeated her introductory line that she always gave every time she met a new patient.

Taking the glass from her Vivi said before drinking the water, he asked teasingly, "Will you be my physician even after I get better?"

Hana blushed as suddenly all the memories from last night flooded her mind. "If that is what you wish... I shall be your physician forever."

She took the glass from him and asked, "How do you feel? Do you have a sore throat or any aches and pains anywhere, Vivi-sama?"

Vivi's brown crinkled at the sound of Vivi-sama. All of a sudden, he did not like how it sounded. "No, no sore throat, but my shoulders and back are in pain. My throat is dry and I feel like I am burning up."

"Yes, you have a very high fever. And you are thirsty because you are dehydrated."

Going over again to the far side of the room, she retrieved the bowl of water and cloth to place it on the night stand next to Vivi's bed. She bent over him and said as she began removing pillows from behind him, "Lie back. I want to get your temperature down."

When she was sure he was comfortable, she dipped the cloth in the water and then wringing it, placed the wet, cool cloth against his forehead. "How does that feel? Is it too cold?"

"No, it's alright."

After a few minutes, she repeated her action until the water was room temperature. She then went into his bathroom and replaced the now warm water with fresh cool water. "Tell me if you feel any sudden change, like a cold sensation, or body chills immediately." But Vivi had already fallen back asleep.

After about an hour, Tsubaki came in with a tray with a bowl of her soup and tea. "Just as ya ordered, Hana-chan!" She set the tray on the night stand.

"Thank you, Tsubaki." She smiled at her friend. "That took longer than I thought!"

"Well, the kitchen did not have any ginseng or dandelion root and I needed yarrow leaves for the tea."

"Your soup has ginseng and dandelion root?" Hana was amazed. She would have never guessed.

"Yep, and lots more... 're ya gonna wake him up or do ya want me to keep these things warm for ya?"

"Well... he does need his rest, but I think that it would be best if I woke him up. He needs to get something in his stomach." She bent over him and kissed him on the lips.

Tsubaki laughed. "Is that how ya gonna wake 'im?"

"It worked last time!" she replied. And lo and behold, Vivi stirred.

"Hana?" he whispered.

Wanting to leave the lovebirds alone, Tsubaki said, "Do ya need anything else, Hana?"

"No." Smiling she said, "Thank you, Tsubaki!" The witch turned away them and quitted the room.

Hana helped Vivi get up again and placing the tray above his lap she said, "Time to eat, Vivi-sama. But I warn you, this is not the best tasting thing in the world, but it is effective!"

"Then do I have to eat it?"

"Don't complain." Hana took a spoon and dipping it in the soup, she offered it to him."

"Vivi hesitantly opened his mouth and accepted the spoonful of soup." As soon as it hit his tongue, he spit it out. "OI! That thing tastes horrible!"

"Stop being a baby and eat it!" Hana ordered.

"Oi! Who you calling a baby?" It was like having Toni all over again.

"You, Vivi-sama! Now, have the soup. It will make you feel better, I promise."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, he said, "Alright."

When the soup was finished she handed him the tea and said, "This is a little bitter, but bear with it!"

Looking down at the cup he scowled darkly, but then he drank it. _Hmmm... bitter, but not bad! _"I would not mind having more of that tea."

"Eh? You like it?" Hana was expecting him to complain about the tea's taste.

"It was good! Did you make it?"

"Oh, no. Tsubaki made the soup and the tea. She says that it is an old recipe used for fevers and colds. She has made it for me quite a few times, and it always made me feel better."

"Really? I wonder just how old that witch is." He said, almost to himself.

"She was going to tell me today, but she did not get a chance to."

"Because you have been looking after me all morning?" he inquired.

"Yes, but there is nowhere else I would rather be." She smiled at him, that warm and genuine smile that always shone light into his world. His world was pretty dark and lonely before he met Hana.

When he finished the tea she took the cup and placing it on the tray, she removed the tray from over his lap. "Do you want water or anything?"

"Only more of that tea."

She looked him over then and realized that his shirt was damp with sweat. "I think that I should try to cool your body down and change your shirt."

As she reached to unbutton his shirt, she blushed as she again remembered last night. Sheepishly she looked up at Vivi and saw that his cheeks were lightly dusted with pink. So she was not the only one embarrassed. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for the shirt that was already slightly opened to reveal his neck and collarbone. When she placed her fingers against the third button to undo it, Vivi's hands suddenly came up and enclosed hers. "Vivi-sama..."

"You do not have to use the honorific anymore. Just call me Vivi."

"But..." she was about to protest about it being improper.

"I do not want you to use -sama with me, Hana. It makes me feel like you are making a distinction between us when you use the honorific. You are not my subject, Hana. To tell you the truth, you never were. I want you to consider yourself as my equal."

"But, I'm not... I'm just a nob..."

His hands squeezed hers and he said, "No, Hana. You are the woman who I want to stay by my side. Please just call me Vivi. I liked how it sounded last night."

Hana's blush darkened when she remembered her wonton behaviour. In her delight she had forgotten to use –sama. "Ok... Vi- Vivi."

He smiled slightly and released her hands. She resumed what she was doing and she removed his shirt. She openly stared at him then. His body looked like a well carved sculpture. From his broad shoulders to his well defined chest to his lithe waist and chiselled abdominals, there was not an ounce of fat on him anywhere. The first time she had seen him without a shirt, she was too caught up in the fact that his wound had miraculously cured to take note of his body. But now that she was aware of him as a man, and fallen in love with him, she could not help but find his body desirable, even beautiful.

"Like what you see, doctor?" Vivi asked wickedly.

Realizing that she was dumbly staring at the half naked man, she turned away and hurriedly went into the bathroom. Picking up a new bath sponge and the pitcher and bowl set, that was more used for decoration than anything else, she filled the pitcher with cool water and carried it and the bowl into Vivi's bedroom. Going around the bed to the other night stand, she placed the bowl down and filled it with water. Wetting the sponge, and squeezing the excess water out, she began to trace the sponge across his body. The cool water felt wonderful against his fevered body. Vivi closed his eyes in an attempt to shut out the fact that Hana was gently rubbing a sponge over his body.

Hana, on the other hand, was nervous and her hands started to tremble so badly, that she was unable to finish her task. She had barely finished applying water to his chest when she said in a shaky voice, "I... I th-think that I... I'll go get you some more tea." Before Vivi could say anything she left. He opened his eyes and sighing he placed a wet cloth against his forehead and over his now closed eyes to lie back down. He had felt how her hands were shaking above the sponge and realized that being alone with him in a vulnerable situation was as difficult for her as it was for him.

Soon the door opened and someone entered the room. The cloth that was covering his eyes were removed and without opening his eyes he quickly caught the hand holding the cloth before it moved away. "Hana..."

"Who is Hana?" a female voice said. "Get your hand off me!" She said roughly as she pulled her hand away, like she was disgusted by his touch.

Vivi opened his eyes to see Rosemary leaning over him. "What do you want? And why are you on Earth?" he asked equally as roughly

"I just came to see how you were doing." She smiled showing perfect teeth. "I see that you are suffering... That is excellent!"

"What?"

"I am the one that injected you with that virus you are now suffering from. I distracted you with the kiss in order to give it to you. Naturally I have been vaccinated against it!" She laughed.

"And now you come to see your handiwork?"

"Consider it punishment for not visiting me for the past 25 years."

"Rosemary..." She knew as well as all the other nobles why he left. She also knew about Cassandra. Did this woman have no love in her heart at all? Could she not even pity him?

"Anyway, I also came to see that woman you ran away with!"

"What woman?" Vivi asked innocently.

"I was there at the party, Vivi. Stop playing games! I came up here especially to eliminate that woman!" Her voice held a hateful quality. "I am not about to allow anyone else to be your wife, Vivi."

_When she says eliminate, she actually means kill._ "I **don't** know who you're talking about!" he insisted. There was a knock at the door._ Damn! It must be Hana_. "No, don't come in!" He said urgently.

"Oh? Is that her?" Rosemary said. When she began to move towards the door she heard Vivi call her back, but she did not listen. Opening the door, she came face to face with a tall, slim redhead dressed like a maid. "Who are you?" she asked. She had a strong feeling that she saw this woman before, but could not recall where or when.

"Just coming to check up on Vivi-sama." Tsubaki said, carefully using the honorific that she never used because she had recognized the Viscountess. Hana had told Tsubaki what had happened and that she was nervous about touching Vivi and asked her to sponge him instead.

"Whatever..." Allowing the woman to enter, she said to Vivi with her back still turned towards him, "Just tell me one thing, Vivi... Is that woman your girlfriend?"

"I told you that **I... do... not... know**!" He stressed the last four words and paused between them to make his point clear to her.

"Hmph! Hurry back and marry Vivi... That is all I want." she said before gracefully leaving.

Vivi groaned and plopped back into bed. He wanted to tell her that he was going to break off the engagement, but did not want to risk angering her while she was here in the manor and may run across Hana at any time. His body felt weak, and he was not sure that he could protect Hana against an enraged Rosemary. He did not even sense Rosemary's approach. His abilities were greatly weakened. Nevertheless he needed to keep Rosemary from Hana. He got up from the bed, but as soon as his feet touched the ground the whole room spun and he had to hold on to the bed for support.

Tsubaki rushed over to him, "Hey! Don't push ya'self. Putting his arm around her shoulders she helped him get back into bed.

Vivi said, "Tsubaki, I need you to protect Hana."

"Wha' was that?"

"Rosemary just threatened her. She came to the surface specifically to find Hana. Make sure that nothing happens to her. If I am this weak my Avi Umbra will not be able to protect her."

But Rosemary had already come across Hana. "So..." she said with narrowed eyes. "You are the woman that Vivi ran away with!" Suddenly her voice became odious "I shall teach you a lesson about what happens to meddling women who try to take away what is mine." The air around her seemed seeped in something foul and suddenly she was holding a long broad sword and approaching Hana.

Hana's eyes widened in fear and she wanted to scream for help, but the sound died in her throat. She wanted to run away, but she found herself incapable of doing so...

**Well THANKS for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. I am sorry that I did not get to include Momo or the moonlit night that I promised last time, but they would both be featured in the next chapter. I PROMISE! I wanted to stop here. I think that it is a good cliff hanging ending. Dont'cha think? Anyway, the lime took up so much space that I could not do all that I had hoped. Anyway, you really can't complain about not having Momo when you got a lime, right? Don't forget to comment. I wanna meet you guys, so say something even if it's just hello. **

**NEXT TIME: Momo comes for a visit... REALLY!; Tsubaki tells her friends more about herself.**


	18. Forever Unchanged Steady Unbreakable

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein. **

**Thank you Victoriette for your review!**

**Chapter 18: Forever Unbreakable, Steady and Unchanged Even When the World Rips Asunder**

Rosemary of course did not believe Vivi when he said he did not know. So she decided to wander around his manor for a while. In the corridor leading to the kitchen she came across the woman she was looking for."So..." she said with narrowed eyes. "You are the woman that Vivi ran away with!" Suddenly her voice became odious "I shall teach you a lesson about what happens to meddling women who try to take away what is mine." The air around her seemed seeped in something foul and suddenly she was holding a long broad sword and approaching Hana.

Hana's eyes widened in fear and she wanted to scream for help, but the sound died in her throat. She wanted to run away, but she found herself incapable of doing so. She watched in silent horror as the Viscountess raised the sword high about to slice diagonally and tightly closed her eyes. She had expected to be badly wounded, but instead she felt nothing but a gust of wind. Opening her eyes, she saw that someone had stepped in between them. Whoever it was had his back to her and his hand had grabbed Rosemary's arm holding it midway through the slashing arc. She recognized the person, "Momo?"

"Who the hell are you?" Rosemary asked with as much rancor as she could manage through her surprise. "How dare you touch me, you filthy human!?" She tried to pull her arm away, but she was surprised that she could not. Nimbly Momo stepped around her roughly bending her arm around her back and said, "You won't be needing this" As he took the sword out of her hand. He threw it as far as he could. It clanked heavily and nosily to the floor. "Touch one hair on her head, and I will kill you!"

Hana was shocked at not only the words that Momo had said, but the way he said it too. His voice was low and laced with such savage hate, that she could not believe that this was her compassionate, adoring friend. Rosemary, however, was not put off or impressed in the least. Leaning her back heavily against his chest, she tipped her head back. With flashing eyes that stared into his, she smiled seductively and said, "OOO… threats!" In a deep, alluring whisper she added, "How very sexy… Please punish me!"

Despite his anger, the way she looked up at him and the words she uttered made Momo blush fiercely. Deeply affected by her words he abruptly pushed her away with so much force that she was incapable of staying upright and crashed to the ground. "Momo!" Hana exclaimed as she made her way to Rosemary. "Are you alright?" Hana said and she squatted and placed a concerned hand on the demoness' shoulder. "Let me help you up." She reached out and was about to take hold of Rosemary's hand when she was stopped.

"**Get away from me!"** Rosemary shouted, slapping Hana's hand away. "Are you stupid? I just attacked you and you want to help me? Do not be absurd! I do not need your pity!"

Hana, confused and hurt by the venomous words, backed away from her and stood up. Looking down at her she said, "Just because you attacked me, does not mean that I should do the same to you. I am a doctor and I have vowed to protect all forms of life. That includes you, Viscountess." Turning to Momo she said, "You should apologize. You did not have to be so rough with her. She was only trying to protect what is hers."

Momo scowled at Hana. Had Hana no idea what was going on? "Apologize?" he demanded furiously. "Did you realize that she was about to kill you? You apparently did not feel her murderous intent!"

Looking back at Rosemary she saw that she was trying to get up. Momo had pushed her so powerfully that she was having difficulty standing. It seemed that her leg was injured. Hana said, "She was not going to kill me."

"How do you know that?" Momo asked. But Hana did not answer. Then suddenly someone put an arm around Rosemary's waist and a hand on her arm and gently picked her up. Looking back behind her, she saw that it was Momo. She stared dumbstruck. _Why is he helping me?_

"I apologize for treating you so abominably!" his voice sounded sincere which confused her even more. "Is your leg hurt? Sometimes I forget my own strength." His face was flushed. But she could not tell if it was from his reaction to her, or the anger that he was feeling over the whole situation.

It took her a few seconds to form her words. His kind gesture and apology took her completely by surprise. His tender hold on her waist and hand as he held her against him made her blush lightly too. "I-I th-think that my ankle may be sprained. B-but it will heal within the next hour."

"Momo," Hana said, "Help her into the sitting room. I will have Toni prepare a room for her. She will rest there until she heals."

"That won't be _**necessary!**_" Her last word came out as an alarmed shriek because at that same instant, Momo picked her up bridal style. "W-w-what are you doing? PUT ME DOWN!" She began struggling in his arms, but he held on to her firmly so that she could not escape.

"**Stop struggling before I throw you to the ground again!" **He said so vehemently that she immediately complied. "I am just following the doctor's orders!"

"Hmph! What is it with you men and that woman?" she asked, but her voice lost the furious edge it had earlier.

Momo smiled slightly, "Haven't you figured it out yet? You can't help but give in to someone that pure."

The Viscountess made no reply, but she thought about what he said. It was not long before she came to the right conclusion… _So that is why Vivi__ favours__ her, huh? I guess after what he did, he needed someone pure to bring him out of the darkness he plunged into!_

She was in the sitting room alone with Momo, but they did not exchange any more words. Rosemary found this whole thing to be so bizarre. The silence allowed her to think. _These humans must really be dense. I attacked them and they turn around and help me? What are they? Angels?_ It was difficult, if not impossible for a demon to understand their motives. _If that woman thinks that by treating me well I will give Vivi to her without a fight, then she is gravely mistaken! I am not giving up the title of Duchess and maybe even that of Demon Queen!_

Hana came in, with bandages, after a few minutes and going over to Rosemary she asked, "Will you allow me to examine your ankle?"

Rosemary looked at her suspiciously and said, "I told you that it is unnecessary. It is going to heal in practically no time!"

"You sure are stubborn!" Hana said in annoyance. "I just want to help you. Is something wrong with that?"

"You…" Rosemary's temper flared once again. "If you think that I am going to give up on marrying Vivi because of your goodwill, then think again, woman!"

"What?" Hana was nonplussed. "What are you talking about?"

"Hana." Momo said, "She is a demon… She does not understand kindness that is feely given without gaining anything in return. She only believes in ulterior motives."

Looking back at Momo she said, **"What was that, brat?"** The demoness asked hotly.

But he refused to be goaded into an argument.

"Rosemary, I just want to see your ankle, that's all!" Hana said.

She sighed audibly and gave up. "You humans are tiring… and strange. Do what you want!" She rocked back heavily into the sofa she was sitting on.

Bringing an ottoman over, Hana carefully elevated Rosemary's foot onto it. Carefully removing the dainty shoe, she began to examine the already swollen ankle. "Momo…" she said, "Tsubaki may still be in the kitchen. Tell her that I need ice for a compress."

When he did as she asked, she turned back to Rosemary who was regarding her with curious eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"I can't just turn a blind eye to someone who is hurt!" Hana declared.

"I tried to hurt you. There is no reason that you should feel obligated! Why are you doing this?" she repeated her question.

"Because I know that you were only trying to scare me. The instant you slashed at me I realized that you never intended to kill me." Hana replied.

"Oh really?" Rosemary smiled, "What made you think that?"

"You and I both know that Vivi would have killed you, if you did!" Hana answered.

The smile on Rosemary's lips vanished and replaced with a look of complete shock. _Does this woman know about Cassandra?_ She asked herself._ If Vivi told her then she must be really special to him! _She realized that Hana did indeed present some serious competition. For the first time since they were engaged, she knew that there was a chance that Vivi might break off the engagement.

When Momo returned Tsubaki was in tow. "Here's the icepack, Hana-chan." She said going over to her. "Ya really 're as cute as a pup… sorry, kitty!" she said and then laughed.

"Huh?" Hana asked as she applied the ice to Rosemary's foot.

"I saw you guys in the corridor. Ya helped an enemy, that's why I said that yur cute!" Turning to Momo, Tsubaki continued, "Nice save, hot shot! But that behavior afterwards was really unbecomin' of a gentleman!"

Momo blushed again, remembering what the demoness had said to him, and then blurted out, "I helped her up afterwards didn't I?"

Tsubaki laughed at his reaction. "Yeah, yeah… brat!" she then said like she did not really care.

"Tsbaki! You looking for a fight?" Momo asked hotly.

"Oh, so now ya think ya can take me, huh… **brat**!?" she laughed.

Rosemary watched on in silence as they continued to bicker for a few more minutes. It was like looking at a dysfunctional family._ Is this how that bastard keeps himself entertained while on the surface? The Great Duke Vivi sure has fallen… Maybe not marrying him wouldn't be such a bad idea after all._

Hana wrapped the icepack around her ankle and then said, "Ok… Let's get you into the room that the maids prepared."

Momo was about to help her up when she spread her wings and said, "That is quite all right. I can manage on my own." She did not want him to touch her again. Her reaction to him confused her, and she did not like it! But the ice felt good against her swollen ankle.

When Hana was satisfied that the Viscountess was comfortable and did not need anything, she was about to leave when Rosemary suddenly said, "Oi! Take this." Placing her right hand into a pocket concealed in the folds of her dress, she produced a small vial. "Give this to the bastard. It is an antidote for the virus."

"Really?" Hana asked reaching out for the tiny bottle. "Thank you so much, Viscountess!"

Hana smile beamed at the demoness so brightly that she had to look away. "D-don't thank me. I am the one who purposefully gave it to him." That smile made her feel uncomfortable.

"That may be so," Hana was still smiling, "but that does not mean that you had to give this to me. Thank you so much. I can't bear seeing Vivi so sick!"

Rosemary turned back to Hana then and asked, "You confuse me! What is so good about that lethargic, cold-hearted, sardonic, blunt bastard?"

Hana's smile faded away at the string of insults. "Vivi is none of those things!" She exclaimed in a stern voice. "Vivi is kind and gentle, patient and loving!" She blushed hotly and smiled stupidly then recalling for the hundredth time what happened last night.

Rosemary's eyes narrowed at the blush. _Vivi was kind, gentle and patient? Where did she get that idea from? Loving huh? There exists a woman who can make Vivi move besides Cassandra? What the hell is going on here? And what is with that idiotic expression? Does she have any idea how many people that monster killed? _She was about to voice her thoughts when she looked at Hana who had that stupid, innocent smile on her face and decided not to. She may be a demon, but that did not mean that she was a vindictive bitch! Sighing she said, "Consider it thank you for helping me."

"Yes, Viscountess Rosemary-sama." Hana bowed to her. "Thank you again!"

Rosemary almost blushed. The girl said it with so much gratitude that it was difficult to remember when she had heard such a genuine expression of thanks. Clearing her throat she said, "Do not think that I have given up on Vivi, girl!"

"I won't give up on him either. But I don't want to you as an enemy, Rosemary-sama."

Royal brows furrowed at the human's announcement. _What the hell is up with this girl?_ Not knowing how to answer she said, "Get out of here and give him the medicine. You humans make me tired!"

Hana smiled. She could tell that she Rosemary was just trying to be tough. Without another word she turned away and left. When she exited she overheard some of Momo's and Tsubaki's conversation.

"I think that is time, Momo."

"Yes, you are right. She needs to start training now. Things are becoming dangerous and **it** will be upon us soon."

"Who needs to start training soon?" Hana asked.

"Ahhh!" Tsubaki said, "I'll tell you later. Vivi's aski' for ya!"

"Oh yeah, I need to give him the antidote!"

"Antidote?" Momo asked.

"Rosemary-sama gave it to me."

"What?" Tsubaki and Momo said together. But Hana had already run down the hall that lead to the staircase that would take her to Vivi's room.

"Where is that demon? Why does he need an antidote?" Momo asked.

"He's sick." Tsubaki said.

"Sick?" Momo shook his head. "Anyway… where were you guys yesterday? Did you all forget about the morning rehearsal?"

"I'll tell ya where we were, but yur not gonna to like it." Tsubaki told him.

Momo's brows furrowed deeply and his mouth was downturned. "Somehow, coming from you, Tsubaki, that is an understatement."

"Yeah, ya prob'bly right! We went to the Demon World!"

"WHAT? The D-Demon World?" Momo thought he was going to faint.

"Yeah, and man ya missed out! We had a truckload of fun! Ya should've seen the dresses."

"Tsubaki!" Momo was furious. "Are you going to tell me what happened or not?"

"Keep ya knickers on!" She smiled broadly. "I'm gonna tell ya now." And she did.

* * *

Hana found Vivi sitting up in his bed. As soon as she came in he asked, "Are you alright, my little flower? Did Rosemary do anything to you?"

"She tried to scare me with a sword…"

"A sword? I swear if she hurt you…" His voice was filled with malice.

"No no!" Hana said quickly. She did not want Vivi to harm Rosemary. "She wasn't going to hurt me. She just wanted to scare me. Besides, Momo stopped her."

Vivi scowled darkly. "The brat is here?" There was something that bothered him more than Momo's presence. It was the fact that the brat protected Hana instead of him. "Hana, I…"

"Vivi, she gave me an antidote for you. Quickly drink it!" She said as she handed him the vial.

"She what?" Vivi was puzzled. After she went through the trouble of giving him the virus, she gives him the antidote?

"Under that tough attitude façade Rosemary is actually a nice person!" Hana announced.

"What's with that nonsense? I have never heard anyone call Rosemary nice." He smiled.

"Well," Hana said, annoyed that he told her she was talking nonsense, "she thinks that you are a cold-hearted, blunt bastard!" She could not remember the other insults. "And the way she said it makes me think that it is the popular opinion!"

Vivi laughed. "Now that is NOT nonsense!"

Hana pursed her lips together. "But Vivi, you're not cold and you're not a bastard! But you can be blunt!"

"Only to you, my little flower." He tipped his head back and placing the vial to his lips, drank the medicine.

"Vivi that's not…" she did not get to finish her sentence because he had pulled her towards him in a tight embrace.

"Oh Hana!" He said into her hair, "I am always putting you in danger! This time I was not even able to protect you… I don't want to lose you… I can't bear it!"

Hana's raised her face to his, "You're not going to lose me, Vivi!" To make sure he understood she hugged him back as tightly as she could. "I never want to be apart from you, Vivi!"

"Then will you stay here with me until I feel better?" He requested.

"Yes, of course." Then she said, "Oh, by the way, Rosemary hurt her ankle so she is resting in the Ivory room until it heals."

"What? She is still here? And why is her ankle hurt? What happened?" Vivi wanted to know.

"Well you see…" And she told him what had happened.

* * *

Vivi and Hana had fallen asleep and it was not until dinner time when Toni knocked on the door did they awaken. When Vivi gave the command to enter, Toni saw them together hugging in the bed said with a slight blush, "Oh, I am so very sorry. I did not mean to interrupt you." Thanks to Tsubaki's comment earlier, he felt like he was intruding.

"You did not interrupt us… You did however wake us up!" Vivi said menacingly.

"I am sorry, Vivi-sama, but dinner is almost ready. How are you feeling? Do you wish for me to bring you something here, in your room?"

"No, actually, I am feeling much better. Come, Toni, help me get ready." He commanded. "I hear that the brat is here!" Turning to Hana he said, "Go now, and get ready for dinner, darling." He gave her a brief kiss and she blushed.

"Not in front of Toni, Vivi!" she whispered.

"Why not? I would gladly shout my love for you from the rooftops!" He said, smiling.

She laughed. "You'd never do that! That would be too noisy." She said as she got out of bed. Still blushing, she glanced at Toni and left.

Once Toni had assisted Vivi to shower and change, the duke went down to the dining room. As soon as he walked in and saw the occupants, a heavy scowl appeared on his face. _This is going to be a noisy night!_ There waiting for him was his self-proclaimed friend and his fiancée, the witch and the brat. "Oi! Why are you all here?" he demanded angrily. _And where is Hana?_

"Why Vivi!" Velten said in an offended voice. "We were all worried about you and came here to see you!"

"No, you came here for a free meal!" insisted Vivi.

"Vivi!" it was Velten again.

Raising his hand to his forehead he said in an exhausted voice, "This is not a hangout!" _Well… at least Rosemary is gone!_ He thought to himself. He thanked his lucky stars.

"Hi everybody!" Hana's voice rang out. Vivi felt relieved. He felt like he could get thought tonight now. "Oh, where's Rosemary?" her voice suddenly sounded disappointed.

"What do you mean where's Rosemary?" Just when Vivi thought that the night could not possibly get any worse. His fiancée was supposed to be here?

"I invited her to dinner." Hana said matter-of-factly. "I guess she didn't want to stay."

They sat down to dinner then. Momo was about to leave but Hana and Tsubaki insisted that he stayed for dinner, much to Vivi's annoyance. He also elected to stay because he knew that Tsubaki wanted to tell the group of friends more about herself and because they both needed to talk to Hana about her true self and her destiny. He thought back to Rosemary. He had never been talked to that way before by a woman and it made him very uncomfortable. Then he thought about what she said as she left._ "Tell that woman that I would not be staying for dinner. I will see you around, Peach! __**(1)**__" she said and began to walk away. _

"_Her name is Hana!" he replied sternly. _

_Rosemary turned back when he said that. "Well, __**Peach**__, tell __**Hana**__ that I have no wish to stay for dinner." _

He really hated his name… Momo. Why was he given that name!? Just because he entered this world in the season of the peach blossoms! A sour look settled on his face. Hana saw it and asked him, "What's wrong, Momo? Are you feeling alright?"

But before he could answer Vivi said, "He must hate having to keep company with demons!"

During dinner Momo saw how Vivi and Hana looked at each other and so became aware of the way they must feel about each other. He still did not like the idea of Hana becoming involved with the demon. He knew his purpose on Earth was to protect and serve Hana and guide her, together with Tsubaki, to her destiny. He knew that her destiny lay in the arms of Vivi and that it was not his place to get in the way of that. He just could not help but feel that it was wrong, because someone as pure as Hana should not have to spend her life with a demon. But he could not change that. This was all fate. This is what was meant to happen. The fate of the entire world as they knew it, The World of the Angels, the Demon World and the Earth which separated them would all likely perish if he neglected his duty. Since the day he had first met Vivi he had considered his feelings for Hana and he realized that he was not jealous of the demon. What he felt for Hana was brotherly love, but it caused him to become fiercely protective over her. He would kill anyone who harmed her.

Because he did not want to disturb Hana, Momo swallowed his retort. Instead, with his temper carefully in check he said softly, "No… that isn't it. It's alright, Hana, I'm fine." However, he was certainly not in the mood to hear any of the duke's taunts so pushing back his chair, he got up saying, "Would you please excuse me?" He knew that Hana would be worried, so he quickly quitted the room.

"Vivi!" Hana said, getting up from her chair to go after Momo she asked, "Do you always have to tease Momo like that?"

"Hana, this is my manor, and I do not appreciate having so many visitors. When they show up unannounced it makes it that much worse!" Vivi's tone indicated that he wanted no argument but Hana ignored it.

"Vivi, do you realize that we have been friends since I can remember?" Hana said.

But instead of justifying that Momo's presence was a good thing, at least this time, her statement only made Vivi become more irritated. However, he could deny neither the gravity of her words, nor the strong friendship that she shared with the young man. When he saw her turn away to leave he said, "Hana, finish your dinner. I will speak to that brat."

"But Vivi…" she began but when she saw his expression she obeyed him.

Vivi's face looked grim as he exited the dining room. He was having problems from not becoming furious, but because he knew how much Hana cared for the gaki (2) he was prepared to maybe try his best to get along with him. He found Momo on the back porch, leaning casually on one of the large columns that supported a verandah on the second floor, staring into the sky at a waning crescent moon. Vivi's approach was stealthy and silent and he was astonished when Momo asked in a tired voice, without breaking his gaze, "What do you want with me now?"

"I came here because of Hana. I truly do not care that you despise me, but apparently Hana does." Vivi said, his voice was flat, not convening the great anger that he was feeling at the moment.

Momo turned to him then to see him steeped in shadow. "I-I don't…" Momo looked within. He had come to the conclusion some time ago that he did not actually hate Vivi. What he hated what Vivi is. A demon: a purely evil supernatural being. Many times he had wondered about how much of his hate was inherited and how much was through interaction. He was not too unlike Vivi… He too was not human, although the only other on Earth who knew that was Tsubaki. But his nature lay on the opposite end of the spectrum.

He had leant, long ago, that demons were vile, evil, detestable creatures. He just could not say that about Vivi and he certainly could not use those words to describe Toni, Velten or Eleanor. His heart told him that if Hana loved Vivi, as he believed she did, then Vivi could not be truly evil. Sighing, he closed his eyes and admitted that which he did not want to. "I do not despise you, Vivi. I just think that Hana deserves better!"

Vivi was shocked at his words, but he could see perfectly in the night with his nocturnal vision and he saw that there was no deceit in Momo's face. He approached, the young man stepping into a small patch of light afforded by the waning moon. His features were softened and in the poor light it was impossible to really see his expression. He too was going to be brutally honest, since it seems that Momo was being that way. "I also think that she deserves better. However… she says that she is in love with me." He heard Momo's sharp intake of breath like the man was surprised and about to blurt something out, but Vivi was greeted by silence once more so he carried on. "I feel the same way. I may be a demon, but I too know what love is! I will not let any harm come to Hana… I will remove everyone and everything that endangers her. Unlike her, I have NO mercy. That you can be sure of!"

Once Momo recovered from the shock of hearing such passionate words from the demon prince he inquired "And what of your fiancée?"

"I would not worry about Rosemary. I am going to break off the engagement. Besides, she was never intending to hurt Hana, only scare her."

"Hana told me something similar. How do you know that? You were not there! I stopped her from slashing Hana with a sword." Momo was flabbergasted.

"Rosemary knows better. She knew that if she hurt Hana I would not have hesitated to slaughter her!" Vivi said it as if it was the most natural thing in the world, but Momo could feel a sudden influx in his dark aura of hatred and anger.

Momo physically took a step back away from Vivi's aura and words. He was also surprised by the fact that the demon had said 'slaughter' instead of 'kill'. _What is up with him?_ "S-s-slaughter her?" Momo stammered.

"Yes, slaughter her." Vivi said casually.

"You really are a demon!" He watched as Vivi smiled in response. "However, if what you say is true… then I will not stand in the way of your relationship with Hana. It is not my place." Lowering his voice and infusing it with as much malice as he could he added, "But harm her or allow her to be harmed in any way, and I will _slaughter_ you!"

Vivi's smile boarded then. "I see we understand each other."

"Yes, we do…" Momo said. "Shall we rejoin the group?" He said walking back into the manor

"Oi! Your home is that way!" Vivi said rudely, pointing in the opposite direction that Momo was heading into.

Looking back Momo said, "No, Tsubaki has something she wishes to talk about. I need to say some things as well." _If you_ _really wanted me to leave you would have already thrown me out, regardless of what Hana wanted. _Momo thought, smiling to himself.

"Good, I want to know more about that witch!" Vivi said as he caught up to Momo.

By the time they rejoined the group, a maid had already served tea. When Tsubaki saw Vivi and Momo sit, she began to tell the small group of comrades about herself. "Well… I know that you all are wondering about me. I will tell you who I am and why I am here but first, I must apologize on behalf of myself and Momo to Hana." Whenever Tsubaki lost her lazy, normal way of speaking, Hana knew that she was going to be deadly serious. Turning to her best friend Tsubaki said, "Hana, I am truly and deeply sorry that Momo and I have kept this from you, but we had too. It was decided before you were bron that you would not be told what I am about to reveal to you until this time." Taking a deep breath Tsubaki began.

"I am a witch who was born in the 10th century, not many years after the death of King Arthur, who did not only exist in literature. He really lived. I was born from the union between the Lady of the Lake and the great great wizard, Merlin. My name is Nimue and I am the guardian of many magical weapons like Excalibur first given to King Arthur and the Spear of Lugh. I have been reincarnated a few times since my first death and I retain all my memories. I am proficient in all forms of water magic and dabble in many others. One area in which I have been blessed is in the area of prophecy. However, this particular gift is a double edged sword for no future is certain, no future has been set, so that even when I catch a glimpse of the future, it can still be changed.

During my last reincarnation in foresaw a time of great upheaval and chaos. The vision was unclear, but the balance between good and evil was disrupted and this caused an event so cataclysmic that it consumed most of the Angel and Demon Worlds and the Earth. Life as we know it was obliterated, for without equilibrium, nothing can exist.

Momo and I are emissaries of the World of Angels. Our purpose for appearing on Earth at this time is to protect and guide Hana and Vivi to their destiny. Whatever causes this shift in the good-evil balance begins in the Demon World, and the key to stopping this chain of events lies in Hana and Vivi." She paused for a while and going over to Hana, held the girl's hand tightly in her own. "Hana, you were specially chosen of all human females to meet Vivi and help him to stop the destruction of our Worlds. I am sorry that I did not tell you before. We did not want to burden you with this knowledge from your childhood. We needed you to grow up into the caring, cheerful, loving woman that you are now. You would not have been able to meet Vivi and earn his love had you not been."

Hana was thoroughly confused. She could not wrap her head around what Tsubaki had said. It was too much too fast. She was just a little nobody and now she had to save the world? But there were a few questions uppermost in her mind. "So you knew that one day I would meet Vivi? Or was that all planned too? Tsubaki, I don't really understand what you're saying, but are the feelings that Vivi and I have for each other just a fabrication?" Hana's eyes filled with tears.

Tsubaki shook her head, "No Hana… Just because we knew that you two would meet and fall in love, does not mean that it was not meant to happen as it did. Momo and I did nothing to make you encounter with Vivi happen. We have just been here to observe and protect you. Nothing more."

"Does that mean that you all were never really my friends then? You were just doing your job?" Hana began to cry then.

"No, never!" Momo responded immediately. He quickly made his way in front of Hana and kneeling down in front of her, he placed his hands above hers and Tsubaki's that were joined together. "We are your friends Hana! Yes, we were given the task of protecting you and guiding you, but we never considered you a job. You are very dear and precious to us. You are our irreplaceable friend!"

In spite of what he said Hana became inconsolable. Instead of making her feel better his words seemed to worsen her shattered feelings and thoughts. How could they possibly think that she could save the world? She was just one little human for heaven's sake.

Vivi who was sitting silently though this whole thing finally growled, "Enough!" Pausing he then asked Momo, "Does that mean, brat, that you are an angel?" Vivi was not quite convinced that this story was true. He could, however sense that the witch made no attempt to deceive them. As far as he could tell, she believed what she was saying. _Maybe she is just crazy… I will have to get some information on her background and Toni will help me. _

"Yes, Vivi." answered Momo, "I am an angel!"

"Prove it." commanded Vivi.

Getting up from where he was kneeling, Momo placed both his hands over his heart in preparation for the release of the seal that kept him in human form. As he murmured words so softly that even the demons' ears could not hear what he was saying, a black ring formed on the floor around his feet and ascended up his body to dissipate like smoke above his head. When no trace of the ring could be seen, his body began to glow with a soft white light that bathed all the occupants of the room in warmth. Two large beautiful white and gold wings appeared on his back, and the glow intensified. His entire body seemed to shine as if it was illuminated by a hidden spotlight. The demons had to squint under the light produced by his body.

Eleanor gasped loudly and her hand flung to her mouth to stop the sound while Velten stood up and placing a hand over his forehead to block out some of the light, stared at Momo dumbstruck. Vivi on the other hand, just looked away. Shaking his head he muttered, "So that is why the brat hates us so much!" He then said, "Get out!" When his guests looked at him in surprise he bellowed "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, ALL OF YOU, BEFORE I BURN YOU OUT!!!"

Eleanor and Velten obeyed without question and began to leave. They were in shock and suddenly wanted to leave this place and get their thoughts together. Tsubaki went over to Momo said, "They need to think about this. Let's go!" as Momo replaced his true form with that of a human. Just before they left the room, Vivi asked them a question.

"Answer me this… Is Hana also an angel?"

Tsubaki could tell that he was murderous with rage. "No, she is not… She is human."

"Good, because if she was, I would…" he could not finish his sentence. "I want you two to leave and never come back. I have nothing but hate for your kind! The next time, I see you anywhere near Hana, you angels, I will kill you both!"

Hana heard his malicious words and she said as Tsubaki and Momo walked out, "Vivi… don't… they…" But she knew not what to say… She was not sure of anything anymore. She did not know if those people were her friends… To them she was some sort of pet project. She did not even know if the love she felt for Vivi was real. Did he even love her? Was she some sort of manufactured thing? Built up like a puzzle by the angels to be suitable for Vivi? Suddenly her silent weeping turned to loud sobbing as she saw her whole world fall apart around her.

Hearing her cry like was more than the duke could take. Going over he wrapped her in his arms, he kissed her cheeks and whispered into her ear that she should not cry. He assured her that everything would be alright. "I am right here, Hana… Please worry not, my little flower."

After about fifteen minutes of trying to relax her, Hana finally said, "Vivi… do you… do you love me?"

"Of course I love you, Hana."

"But… what about what Tsubaki said… She made me feel like this was all written in a book somewhere… Oh Vivi! I don't understand any of this!"

"I am not sure I understand either, my love. But what Tsubaki said is true. The fact that she predicted that we would meet, does not mean that our meeting was forced. According to her, she did nothing to make our encounter possible. So I believe that we were meant to be together." He kissed her then. He could tell that she was holding herself back from him, but when he began to explore her mouth, she slowly became confident enough to hesitantly touch his tongue with hers. They kissed long and hard and when they finally parted lips he said to her.

"My darling, never question my love for you ever again. Even if the world rips asunder, my love for you will remain forever unbreakable, steady and unchanged."

**NOTE: That's all folks. Hope you liked it. Don't forget to take a minute to review and comment. **

(1) Momo means peach.

(2) Gaki means brat.


	19. The Power of Growing Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.**

_Hello folks. It has been a while hasn't it? Well the thing is that I have been really, really busy! I graduated college. I officially have a Bachelors of Science! YAY! Then I went home to relax and went under a rock to get away from the world and soon I will be starting grad school! Hope you all have been doing well. Let's get on with the story..._

**Chapter 19: The Power of Growing Up. **

Vivi knew that it would have been a long while before Hana could fall asleep. She was so distraught that he decided to place a sleeping spell on her that was so strong that in order for her to awaken he would have to lift it. The Great Demon knew that his little flower needed rest terribly and also wanted to research this Tsubaki and her tale.

_What the Fuck is going on here?_ Vivi asked himself as he made his way to the library. Toni would already be there. Vivi has spent about an hour with Hana trying to comfort her. When he realized that she was not going to be able to sleep he knew that using a sleep spell was the only way he would be able to leave her on her own. He needed to find out what all this was about. If the World of the Angels knew of this prophecy the insane witch spoke off, did the Demon World also know of it? She said that the force of destruction would originate in his home world. Did she even know what she was talking about? The brat was certainly an angel so there is definitely something to what they were saying. But could he trust them? Could he trust an angel? It was an angel who had slain his father. His mother died of grief, utterly heartbroken. Nothing mattered to his mother anymore. The Archduchess Rebecca who was famous for her unparallel beauty was better known for only one thing. Unlike most of her peers, Rebecca had a generous and warm heart. Many joked that she was more of an angel that a demon. As black as her wings were, her heart was filled with light. When her husband Archduke Vincent died, Rebecca could not be consoled. She ceased eating or sleeping growing neurotic and even the presence of her son, Vivi, could not keep her alive. He was left as an orphan. His father may have been murdered, but the angel had slain both his parents.

Vivi never found out which angel committed him to a life without parents, but he condemned them all as criminal filth to be destroyed on sight. To think that Momo was an angel and Tsubaki was affiliated with them. It made the Duke's blood boil. He would learn more about this situation by consulting books he had at hand. If he could not satisfy his curiosity and questions were left unanswered, then he was even willing to return to the Demon World and go to his family's library, and even to the main library of the Demon World. He was even considering asking the Old Geezer. And if that did not work, then he was prepared to consult Tsubaki and beat the rest of the information out of the brat.

When he walked into the library he found Toni diligently reading a large tome. "My lord," he saw Vivi stroll in. On the desk Toni was working at was a collection of at least 35 other books, letters and scrolls. "Vivi-sama," he said when he saw his lord sit at his desk, "I think I found something. It is curious..." Getting up from where he was sitting, he took a book over to the duke and pointing to a picture he said, "This is a portrait of the so-called witch who was burnt at the stake in 1554. She has a remarkable resemblance to Tsubaki-sama."

Taking the book from his butler's hand Vivi began to read the article about it. According to the entry there was a woman who allegedly had the miraculous ability to make it rain. In the year 1554 Europe experienced its worst drought it had seen in centuries. In the last three months of the year a mysterious woman would pass through a town and then rain would come within a day. It was not long before stories began circulating and she had become notorious. At first it was quite confusing since each time this "rain-woman" appeared her appearance changed. Eventually the stories evoked great fear and the public was soon scared into a frenzied witch hunt. Any female newcomer would be arrested and interrogated and quite a few women were being tortured and one was even put to death. Eventually a woman with curling, flaming red hair came forward and she confessed to be the witch they were looking for. She was taken into custody, given a public trial which was designed to convict her and she was then burnt to death that very evening.

"So the witch was put to death by the very humans she tried to help." Vivi said grimly. He said nothing more instead preferring to think about this situation... He knew that there was some truth to her story. She did have powers and he was sure that she was not a demon. He had never heard of a demon who could wield water the way she did at his birthday party. He cursed under his breath... He knew that he would have to go to Tsubaki and get the entire story. Just thinking about that put him in a bad mood, but if there was even a shred of truth in what she said then for his sake and Hana's he needed to know the entire story. Besides, if Tsubaki and her cronies believed that he and Hana together created some sort of key to battle this Great Evil which was coming then they would not be left alone. He needed to find out what lay ahead... _And w__hat_ _does Old Geezer know?_ He wondered to himself. He decided that he would consult the witch and then he would pay a visit to his ancestor, the Demon King.

"Toni," Vivi said, "did you find any prophecy of Armageddon similar to what Tsubaki was describing?"

"No, Vivi-sama." He said in a defeated voice, "There are many stories and predictions of the end of the world but there is no mention of the process beginning in the Demon World. Of course Revelations of the Catholic Church has its own idea, but honestly, I don't think we will be able to find much more." He paused for a while and then continued, "Vivi-sama we may simply be suffering from a lack the books and other references... I fear that we will have to return to the Demon World."

Vivi nodded wordlessly in response. He already knew that. He also knew that he must see the witch one last time and get the entire story. "Get the car ready, Toni. We are going to pay that red haired witch a visit." Vivi did not even notice Toni's quitting of the room. He was lost in his thoughts. _I will leave Hana asleep and Mr Bird_... Vivi almost cringed mentally at his lapse in judgement when he called his Avi Umbra by that ridiculous name Hana bestowed upon it. Then he smiled as he remembered how happy his Hana was to receive the shadow bird and the sweet expression on her smiling face. _I will protect you, my love, with all the strength and power that I have... No harm is going to come to you. _

Tsubaki was expecting him. She opened the door to see a dark, powerful demon standing in her doorway. She said nothing and just stepped aside to allow him to enter her home. She watched silently as he proudly strode in, the air surrounding him seemed to burn and crackle. His mood was black and she knew well what he had come there for. When he entered her sitting room, she said "Please sit, I will tell you everything." And she did.

Vivi-sama returned to his manor in an even worse mood. He remained silent as Toni drove him home and his butler knew well to do the same. He went directly to his room where he left Hana sleeping. He stood over her for a few minutes just watching her breath peacefully curled up in a fetal position. Inside he was shaken, but did not want her to know... Did not want her to know all what he had just learned from that fiery-haired witch. _No harm will come to you and we will never be separated, not even by death._ He silently vowed to himself. He would not be able to lose the love of his life a second time. Surely fate was not that cruel... Was it?

When Vivi was convinced that he had his dark mood under control and all traces of it eradicated from his face, he gently lifted the spell and awoken Hana. She stirred momentarily and then sleepily rubbing her eyes she whispered, "Vivi...?"

"Yes, my flower. I am here." He replied simply as he sat on the bed next to her.

"What... was that all a dream? Did Momo and Tsubaki really talk about the end of the world?"

Vivi knodded and said, "Yes... it all happened." He paused wondering if he should reveal anything to her at all. "Hana, I need you to listen to me." When she nodded to indicate an affirmative answer he continued. "I went that witch to find out more. She, without a doubt, has the gift of prophecy and she told me again that a time of great evil and upheaval is coming. There was no deceit in her voice as she spoke..." He breathed in deeply and continued, "Hana, you and I must take up arms and protect this world, the Demon World and the Realm of the Angels as she, Momo and all other supernatural beings must do. We two have a very special role and..."

"Take up arms?" Hana asked. "I have to fight? I have difficulty opening tins of tuna!" she was bewildered. "Vivi... I... I don't understand!"

"Hana," Vivi's voice was sympathetic, "You are to be trained by Tsubaki and a weapons master of her choice. She says that within you lies latent power. She is ready to teach you witchcraft and you must learn to use a sword and other weapons."

"But weapons are used to kill!" She became angry now. "I am a doctor..." her voice was adamant. "I cannot and will not kill anyone!"

"Hana... please try to understand..."

"NO!" she shouted and moved to get off the bed away from where Vivi was sitting.

Unceremoniously Vivi pulled her back down and in a rough voice he said. "Hana! Listen to me... If you don't do as she says then your world, my world and Momo's world will be ruined... These places and all who inhabit them will be laid to waste... Do you understand...?"

"Vivi I..."

But Vivi had enough. "Hana you need to grow up! This needs to be done! You have to learn how to protect yourself and fight with all your might." He was resolute. "Your training begins today. Tsubaki needed to make some last minute preparations and she will be coming here this afternoon. I suggest that you get ready to receive her." When he looked at her confused and aghast expression he suddenly grabbed her and hugged her against him. Kissing the top of her head he said, "I know this is confusing and it is all happening too fast, but Hana we must get ready. A great rebellion and war is coming and you and I are supposed to be some sort of saviours. Please... when Tsubaki comes listen to her, don't be afraid and don't cry. Will you do that for me, my flower?"

She nodded and steeling her nerves she replied, "Yes, Vivi! I will."

When Tsubaki arrived in the mid afternoon she was immediately shown into the living room. On seeing Hana, she hesitated at the door unsure of how to proceed since they parted during a much-less-than favourable situation. Tsubaki knew that keeping the truth from Hana was an act of betrayal, but she had to do it. She was placed back on the Earth after a 450 year body-slumber, her longest of all, with a job to do. She never wanted it to seem like deception and many would argue that omitting the truth was indeed lying outright... How was she supposed to repair this friendship? How was she supposed to approach Hana? Innocent, trusting, naive Hana... _Would she forgive me?_ Tsubaki wondered feeling quite uncomfortable and ashamed.

"Tsubaki!" Hana cried as she hurried to her friend and gave her a hug. "I am so glad to see you!" And all of Tsubaki's fear and uncertainty were erased. Just like that Hana fixed everything. Her loving nature and her inability to become angry sometimes stunned even Tsubaki who knew her and knew of her before she was even born. "Where is Momo?" she asked.

"You..." Tsubaki smiled and pulling away a little said, "He will visit soon. Hana, sit... We need to talk."

"Yeah, Vivi told me!" Hana replied sombrely.

Tsubaki explained and Hana listened. When Hana did not understand something she asked and Tsubaki went through another bout of information and explanations. It was dinner time before they decided to take a break. Hana was in awe of how Tsunbaki's visions came to her and the level of detail with which she could explain what she saw or dreamed. Sometimes the dreams were so strong that when she woke up they seemed more like memories, as if she had actually been there.

"Your gift, Hana, is one of healing." Placing her fingers over the young woman's heart, Tsubaki continued. "Within here is a heart full of love, compassion and warmth. A pure heart and an even purer soul. I am not much of a healer, but I know some of the basics. I am hoping that once we begin to unlock your true power there would be a domino effect and your abilities will come about of their own volition. Mine began the same way because I was open to their development since my mother too was a sorceress. I never tried to suppress them, never turned away from them. No matter how strong they seemed and even when they overwhelmed me before I learned how to control and wield them properly and appropriately I realized that my powers were very much a part of me. They were significant facets of me and they should be nurtured and used wisely. This is when I also realized that my emotion was their source and driving power. The stronger I feel the more power I can call forth but if I am afraid or panicking, they overwhelm me and they get out of my control, and that is a terrible thing. Because of its destructive capability, it is imperative that I have complete control of my abilities. Without this control I can destroy the people close to me and myself. This will be same for you Hana. Once we begin training you, you will be burdened with the extra responsibility of harnessing and controlling your power."

Hana swallowed hard... Was she up to this? She promised Vivi and she trusted that he and Tsubaki knew what they were talking about. If the end of the world was approaching and she could do something, anything to avert it, then she had to try. What other choice was there? "Tsubaki... I put myself in your hands. Please teach me all that I need to know." Hana had made up her mind and there was not an inkling of doubt in her voice or a trace of a tear in her eye. It was time to grow up and that is what she intended to do.

"I will help you bring your latent power to the surface and I will start your basic weapons training. You will then find the weapon with which you have an affinity and advance training with another instructor will begin_. I already know who she needs..._

"I am a little scared, Tsubaki!" Hana said suddenly.

"Don't worry about that. You have me and you have Vivi. When my powers began manifesting themselves I had no one. My mother had already abandoned me. We will take care of you, so don't worry that pretty little head. OK?"

Hana chirped, "Yes! You are right! I won't worry about it!"

**_OKAY folks. Sorry it was so short, but I needed to have a transition chapter. See you soon for the next chapter and don't forget to review! _**


	20. Training is a Witch!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma and the characters within**

**Thank you MasterDestroyer23****45 for your review!**

**Chapter 20: Training is a Witch!**

Tsubaki was a slave driver. The first thing she worked on was Hana's fitness and endurance. Hana was a fairly good swimmer, but she was not much of a runner. Tsubaki was determined to change that. Hana would be an excellent swimmer and a great runner. She also had to improve her focus, powers of observation, reaction time and dodging abilities. Hana took an extensive leave from the hospital and Tsubaki did the same from her school. Vivi allowed her to move into one of the guest rooms so that she could concentrate on Hana's training.

Every morning Tsubaki woke Hana up at dawn and together they jogged to the ****town park and made 15-20 laps. Well at least they attempted to. Tsubaki could easily make 50, but on the first day Hana could not even manage two. Hana's diet was also changed. Although she was never an unhealthy eater, the sorceress made sure that Hana ate only the most nutritious foods- whole grained cereals, fresh and lean meats, lots of vegetables especially the green leafy kinds and brightly coloured fruits. No sodas or anything with added sugars or artificial ingredients. Everything must be natural, perfect and done to enhance Hana.

Grudgingly Vivi also allowed Momo to visit. He became Hana's sparring partner. He was very proficient in hand to hand combat especially martial arts. He did not want to hurt her so he always went easy on her until Tsubaki said, "Yur not gonna teach her anything by treating her like a china doll! Teach her properly!"

Hana's body was now always sore. Many times during the first few days she wanted to cry, but she held it in. She knew that this was being done for her own good and for the fate of the world, so she decided to face it all with a pleasant mind. Vivi saw the changes in his little flower and although it took him almost two weeks to say something Hana was extremely happy when he said, "I am very proud of you Hana. You are doing very well, my little flower!" Vivi was deeply impressed and as her spiritual strength and fortitude grew under Tsubaki's and Momo's instruction, he saw different facets of Hana's personality and his attraction and love for her seemed to increase tenfold. Slowly she was moving away from a frightened, weak girl to a mature, assertive and confident woman. She no longer said things like she was a little nobody or that she did not know what to do. Instead she began to carefully ponder things and if she was still confused she asked one of the people in her lives for their thoughts on a situation in question.

She was slowly becoming used to the idea that not knowing exactly what to do was not reason for panic and that things work themselves out, although not always the way one wants. She put her trust in Vivi's, Tsubaki's and Momo's strength and she realized that she too was stronger than she ever imagined. It seemed that another part of Hana was being unlocked, and her friends loved it. She was no less loving and kind, but she became more certain of herself and comfortable in her abilities and it made her an even better match for a powerful 200 year old demon noble.

After weeks of working on her stamina and martial arts, Tsubaki altered the focus a little to Hana's true gift. When Hana was born, the Realm of Angels placed several locks on her abilities. Together Tsubaki and Momo would remove the first of a series of locks. This would allow some of the young woman's abilities to seep out. The remaining locks would have to be removed by Hana herself. As her powers grew, the walls which held her powers captive would melt away one by one. Tsubaki was worried that if Hana knew just how powerful she potentially could be then the girl would grow afraid. The sorceress had foreseen Hana's healing power in a vision. She did not mention that the human also had the ability to clear away darkness. This particular gift surrounded her like cloak of white light and when the light came into contact with anything evil it would either cleanse the malevolence or obliterate it, or rather who embodied the evil, entirely. It seemed that for Hana to eradicate even a middle-class demon, she did not even need to physically touch the poor creature. This made Tsubaki quite uncomfortable... What would happen if she touched Vivi without total control of this particular skill? For the first time, Tsubaki trembled. If Hana was to lose Vivi, there was no telling what could happen. Much, much worse if she was the one to destroy Vivi... _If she was go berserk..._ Tsubaki shook her head. _That isn't going to happen_ she told herself vehemently! She had to ensure that it did not happen and so she needed to contact the one person who could help Hana reign in and command her power. She would have to pay a visit to an old friend...

Hana's training was going well. With her natural flexibility the martial arts were not too bad, but since she was still an amateur she was getting beat up by Momo... He tried to strike her as easy as possible, but the girl's skin still got bruised. When Tsubaki decided to start weapon's training, Hana was relieved. Tsubaki had an inkling of what weapon Hana would use, but allowed her student free reign over her choice. In fact, the weapon-summoning witch had already chosen the particular weapon Hana would be armed with come the Great War...

Once, when Hana was especially black and blue Velten and Eleanor visited. He almost cried when he saw her and of course asked, "Hana, would you like Dr. Velten to rub your aches and pains away?" His eyes were optimistic, but quickly filled with fear when he saw the expression on his fiancée's face. With a wicked smile she pulled out her mallet with the intention of beating him until he could not get up. When Vivi came in to see what was going on and saw the damage Eleanor was creating as she chased and beat Velten, Vivi surrounded his body with a blue flame and shouted "Stop it you idiots! The next time you all break something in this house I am going to make you pay to have it restored. Do you all understand?" They complied.

"Hana-chan... guess what." Tsubaki said, "We're gonna take a trip to ma home."

"You mean where you are really come from, right? Not your apartment." Hana wanted to know.

The red head smiled. _Hana's focus and mind is much sharper. Seems like all the preparations are going well. _"Yeah, where I really come from. It is all the way in Europe and can only be accessed through England."

Hana's eyes were filled with stars. "Oh goodie! I always wanted to go to Europe!" and she jumped in excitement. "When do we fly?"

"Hahahaha! Fly? We sail, silly! Is the best way to go!"

"But won't that take too long?" Hana asked.

"Yur so cute!" Tsubaki smiled, "Nah, not when you're ridin' with me." _I need Vivi to do something for me... _

"Tsubaki, can we invite Toni, Eleanor and Velten and is Momo going to be there too?"

Tsubaki was amused. "Anything yah want. The more the merrier , but someone needs to stay and watch over things."

Since Tsubaki did not have to pack she helped Hana to. "We'll only be gone for about a month but time passes there much quicker than here and so it will seem like several months."

"What do you mean?"

"Time here on Earth and Avalon where we are going does not pass the same way. Think of it as a day on Earth being about a week in my world."

"How is that possible?"

"There is a time discontinuity between the two worlds, and there is much more magic and magic users where I come from. There is a great healer who I want you to meet and train under." Tsubaki paused and then added, "You may have to spend more time there, Hana. It depends on how much progress you can make during the first couple of months."

"More time?"

"Yes, but don't worry! We'll see when we get there. Also this is the best way to train you. You can spend one month training at my home before a week on Earth goes by."

"Oh! Now I see! Hey Tsubaki, what's the healer's name."

"Oh yeah! Silly me! Her name is Ayame. Anyway, Hana, I am gonna see Vivi 'bout somethin'. I'll be back soon." She found him in the library. Vivi was not thrilled about having to go anywhere and then when he heard Tsubaki's request he scowled darkly, and said, "Is this really necessary? I can't believe you want to do this!" When she said that she knew what she was doing he replied, "I trust you now, Tsubaki so I am going to honour your request."

Tsubaki smiled and said, "Thanks, duke!"

When the small party was ready Vivi had them driven out to the nearest coast and Tsubaki began singing a song. The words were unrecognizable but the melody was as beautiful as it was strange. After a few minutes a large ship appeared several hundred meters out and she outstretched her right hand. She then made a quick cutting motion with her arm and the water parted to reveal the seabed creating a narrow pathway to the stern of the ship.

Hana was amazed and speechless but Velten laughed and said, "Are we slaves leaving Egypt?" Velten used a Biblical reference to Moses in Exodus

Eleanor tapped him over the head and said, "Shut up, you!"

"Let's go." Tsubaki said.

As they approached the vessel Tsubaki's guests got a better look at the ship. It was about 25 meters long and a little over 5 meters wide and looked like a flat topped submarine. The low lying superstructure took up most of the ship's width and on either side ran corridors along the port sides. The top flattened area which served as a deck was fairly expansive and the highly polished wood from which it was made gleamed in the morning sun. Attached to the bow was a large, beautiful sculpted mermaid with long, wavy hair whose arms were outstretched as if welcoming its passengers. At the stern there was a rope ladder on which the travellers could have climbed up into the boat. Instead, the demons decided to spread their wings and flew unto the deck. Vivi clutched onto Hana and carried her up but Tsubaki preferred to simply climb the ladder.

There was something missing. By the time they boarded Vivi asked, "Tsubaki, where is the smokestack?" Of course the ship ran on fuel and so the exhaust must be channelled somewhere.

"It doesn't have one."

"So is the exhaust reused then?"

Tsubaki laughed and answered, "This ship is not hydrocarbon or even water powered." Going over to the bow she made a series of whistles and clicking sounds and four huge porpoises came up to the surface and made a barrage of sounds. They were harnessed to the ship with bejewelled tethers and around their necks hung large iridescent pearl necklaces on which a huge oyster dangled like a pendant. They seemed excited and happy. "Ohhh! How cute!" Hana and Eleanor squealed together. "Can I touch them?"

"You speak dolphin, Tsubaki?" Velten wanted to know.

"They say welcome and have a pleasant journey."

Velten's only reply was a great bout of laughter. Vivi said nothing, not really liking the idea of travelling by sea, but Eleanor and Hana seemed pleased and thrilled. Once Tsubaki saw that her friends were comfortable, she gave the command and her porpoises gave one last series of clicks and whistles and then they were off sailing towards England at a surprisingly quick speed. "Folks, in 'bout an hour we'll be diving so we will have to go indoors." Tsubaki announced.

"Hey Eleanor, how about putting on a bikini and getting a tan?" Velten was hopeful even though he was joking, but his smiling face was met with the demoness' right fist which sent him flying.

"You pig!" was her only reply.

Hana was shocked, Tsubaki laughed and Vivi grumbled "So noisy!" He asked the way and then quickly went inside the living area grumbling again about how bright the sunshine was. Velten and Tsubaki went to the stern and overlooked the sea and began chatting about sea navigation while Hana and Eleanor found themselves at the bow where they could see the porpoises pulling the ship.

The sea breeze was fantastic and Hana and Eleanor chatted while enjoying the journey. Eleanor wanted to know how Hana and Vivi were doing and also about her training. Hana blushed and said in a hushed voice, "Tsubaki is a slave driver! At least that is what Vivi calls her. But I am the fittest I have been in my life, but just as blue-black and sore!"

Eleanor laughed and said, "I am sorry about that Hana. I remember when I was little and learning self defence and weaponry. I was always blue-black and sore too!" _But with our regenerative abilities, it was never bad_, she added silently.

"Oh! You went through this too?" Then Hana grew excited and said, "Things are going really well with Vivi. He doesn't mind kissing me now and he praises me because he knows how hard I am training."

Eleanor was genuinely happy for the human, "That's wonderful! I am glad things are working out. Both you and Vivi deserve happiness." but silently she was wishing that Velten could return her feelings. Every day that went past she felt more and more like a fool. How many years had it been since she fell in love with Velten? Over a century and a half... More like 180 years. How long was she going to wait? How long was she going to hope and pretend that he could fall in love with her? How long was she going to hold herself back from finding some happiness for herself? If Velten did not love her that did not mean that there was no demon who could love her, right?

Eleanor felt the prick of tears in her eyes. She tried her best not to cry but she could not help it. It was all so depressing. She was close to being 200 years old and all she had romantically speaking was a 180 year long unrequited love affair with a womanizer who didn't even see her as a woman. _What the fuck was am I then? What am I to him? A little girl to be laughed at? _

"Eleanor... What's wrong?" Hana placed her arms around the demoness' shoulders.

"Oh nothing" she lied... I'm sorry. The salty air is getting to me!" She smiled at Hana, but her expression looked forced.

"Tell me what is wrong... It is NOT nothing!" Hana insisted.

Eleanor said nothing. She did not want to burden the girl with her depressing life story. She also knew that Hana would feel guilty for telling her how great things were going with Vivi.

"Aren't you going to tell me?" Hana demanded.

Eleanor replied, "I told you it was nothing. Just the salty air."

"So then there is nothing bad going on between you and Velten? Everything is good?" Hana wanted to know being annoyed by the blatant lie.

Eleanor was uncomfortable since she was caught lying, not that she was a good liar to begin with but her wish to keep her sad story to herself outweighed the need to be straight with her friend. "Things are okay." She really meant that things were just as they always were. She, in love with Velten and him, flirting with anything cute wearing a skirt.

"If you don't want to tell me, Eleanor, you could have just said so!" Hana was indignant, but instead of taking out her anger on Eleanor, she decided to tackle the underlying source of the lie. Turning away from her Hana stomped towards where Tsubaki and Velten were standing and called Velten out. When he came over to her she, without hesitation, punched him hard in the stomach. Velten was thrown back and looked up at Hana with incredulous eyes. "That," she stated angrily, "is for making Eleanor unhappy. If you can't make her happy then call off the engagement and let her find happiness with someone else. You may not think that she is worth it, but I think she is. So do the honourable thing and release her!"

Eleanor gasped at the words she overheard and Tsubaki smiled slightly in approval. Hana said to them, "Ladies let's go inside. We don't need to keep company with a man who makes a woman cry. After all they are the worst!" Eleanor blushed at Hana's declaration but both she and Tsubaki did as was suggested. Velten was left on the deck to look over the sea and contemplating what Hana had said. "I know that, Hana..." he said to himself angrily... "But I am too selfish to do the honourable thing..."

Tsubaki showed Eleanor into her room and then Hana into hers. "Where is Vivi?" Hana asked. The hostess them took a brooding Hana to the duke's quarters. She knocked and when they were given the okay to open the door they found Vivi casually lying on his bed reading. When Tsubaki left to go back on the deck Hana went to the bed and sat down. Vivi could sense something was wrong even through the book and taking it away from his eyes, he saw a dark, angry Hana. He never saw her this angry before and he was first shocked and then he kind of liked it. He proclaimed "You look beautiful when you're angry, my flower. I must endeavour to get you angry more often." he joked.

But Hana was in no mood for funnies. "Vivi, why does Velten treat Eleanor like that? He is a complete jerk and stupid too!"

_Ahhh! _Vivi mused to himself_. She is finally getting it! _"That, Hana, is a very good question, but because I don't like to speculate, the only person who can answer that is Velten." He said as he put himself into a sitting position.

"But..." She flung herself backwards on the bed in frustration. "He treats her so poorly and Eleanor still stands by his side? Is that love? Why does she not end the engagement?" Looking up at Vivi she then quickly added warning him, "Don't give me the best person to answer that is Eleanor line!"

Vivi smiled broadly at her irate voice. Instead of answering he grabbed her and pulled her towards him and kissed her hard. "I missed you today!" he joked again.

"Vivi, we were only separated for half an hour." Hana informed him.

"But that half an hour felt like a decade!" He kissed her again before she could answer and he could feel her body grow less tense and he teased her into responding to him. In no time she was kissing him back as she buried her fingers in his hair. When they separated to breathe, he pulled her unto his lap with her back facing him and hugged her tightly against him. She snuggled closer to him and then suddenly remembered why she came to see him. "Vivi! Answer my questions!"

Vivi groaned. _Maybe the new Hana isn't that great! But she is so sexy when she is mad..._

Tsubaki met Velten standing overlooking the sea still thinking about what Hana said. His expression was one of shame. _Hana is right... I should have done that a long time ago, but I just couldn't! I just couldn't release her... I will lose her forever... I can't... _His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a voice behind him.

"We will be diving soon, Baron. Time to go below." Tsubaki said.

Velten turned towards Tsubaki and when she saw the sad and miserable expression on his face she said, "Don't worry. We girls know that you will do what is right. But you have wasted enough time already. Give Eleanor some closure. Don't string her along. For most hope is liberating for the rest it is enslaving. Think about her for a while."

Velten nodded mutely. He knew what he should do but was he demon (man) enough to let Eleanor go? Was he capable of hurting her that much when he called the engagement off? Tsubaki showed him to his quarters and then returned to the deck to give her porpoises the command to take the ship below waters. She then went below deck into the front end where she could give more commands and concentrate on creating water currents to expedite the journey. She was excited to go home and she could not wait to see her friends and subjects again and to show her Earth friends where she originated. Hopefully the duke pulled through and there would be one more waiting for them there at the gateway which linked Earth to Avalon.

**Okay boys and girls. That's it. Hope you enjoyed and please review.**


	21. Sisters in Arms

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.**

**Chapter 21: Sisters in Arms**

It would take mere hours for the small party to arrive at their destination. The porpoises knew the route well since they had taken it many times before and with Tsubaki at the helm bending the water to her will, creating currents to push the vessel along, there was no need to worry about time. She had neglected, not purposefully, to tell Hana that her dominion went far beyond that of her mother. Her mother, The Lady of the Lake who was keeper of Excalibur had limited power outside the Lake and the numerous rivers connected to it. Within she may have been omnipotent, but she had little control over large bodies of water residing outside her haven. Her daughter, in contrast, was so powerful that she could easily manipulate rivers and waters of the oceans not only in England but anywhere in the world.

The Realm of the Angels knew that **water**, was the only thing which occurred in each of the domains in an unchanged form. They therefore concluded that Tsubaki would be instrumental in the coming war and the ending of it. Wherever there was water, she could have some control and power. Water connected all... The Realm of the Angels, The Earth and its parallel domains like Avanon and also The Demon World. Tsubaki would therefore be able to fight and move between any of these principal territories without difficulty. Once there was abundant water nearby, Tsubaki could be considered invulnerable and virtually unconquerable. There was only one thing that could seep her powers away but she was extremely careful of that.

Hana could not get any answers from Vivi. How could she? Like he said she would have to ask Eleanor and Velten why they behaved the way they do. She knew it was not her place to ask such questions so she left Vivi in his room and gave up trying to understand the two demons, but two things did occur to her... Firstly, Eleanor was caught in the soul mate mentality and secondly, she had low self esteem. Why else would she put up with Velten like that? Elaenor's feelings went beyond love, hope and devotion. Eleanor was blinded. For her there was no one beyond Velten. No other demon male existed but him. She was absolutely convinced that Velten was the only one for her. Hana wanted to break that mindset. Eleanor was too fine a female to waste herself or any more time on Velten. She deserved more and Hana would make her see that. Or at least she was determined to. As for her self esteem... she was not sure how to handle that one. It seemed that Eleanor truly believed that she was ugly. Most people would think this way after so many years of rejection... She flopped down on her bed unable to come up with a solution, and thinking about it made her even more frustrated so she decided to go back to Vivi and just spend time with him. She had come to realize that they did not have to be engaged in conversation or some activity to enjoy each other's company. Their mere presence for one another meant peace of mind and a feeling of acceptance, love and comfort. Words were unnecessary. Just being in the same room was as romantic as necking, even more so. To be so in love with someone that you need not be sexual with them but feel loved and cherished. Hana smiled to herself as a warm feeling welled up in her heart. The little nobody orphan was no longer familyless, friendless and unloved. She was no longer alone and she would do anything in her power to protect that.

When she reached his door she suddenly turned direction as she wanted to see Tsubaki. When she was about to walk through the open door space that linked the corridor with the helm room she heard voices- Velten's and Tsubaki's. She was still mad at Velten and she was not one to eavesdrop but when she heard the demon say Eleanor's name, Hana instantly stilled. Maybe she would get some information on this situation after all. She hated listening outside the door. She knew it was a breach of privacy but she also knew that Tsubaki would neither reveal anything told to her in confidence nor would Hana ask that of her friend.

"Hana is right," he said, "I have treated Eleanor so terribly, hurting her over and over again..." The witch said nothing in reply and so he continued. "I don't know what to do... Eleanor and I were engaged when we were children. I was not even 12 at the time and she was even younger. It was an arranged marriage like those done between most if not all noble families. But by the time I was a young man I realized that I was destined to be a great lover of women like my father was. It did not take me long to stain my hands with innumerable love affairs. Most times I would grow board with the latest conquest before I even got physical, but it was not always like that... I am dirty...

He continued since Tsubaki only wanted to listen at the time. "I always looked at Eleanor as a little sister when we were little. I would help her with her studies, stayed with her when her mother died and when she went missing, I skipped school and an important exam to go and find her. I think she started falling in love with me that day." He smiled weakly, "I was injured in the process and she made me lay in bed for the rest of the day and was my personal nurse. I think that she got caught in being a damsel in distress and me being the hero. You can't blame her, she was only a child."

He stopped smiling then. "When we were in high school she confessed to me and I told her that she should not feel that way... She said that she would not give up and in all this time she hasn't. How could she fall in love with a no-good womanizer like me? What attracts her to me? I am handsome, but I have no principles." Velten took a deep breath before continuing. "I have hurt her really badly, haven't I, Tsubaki?" He shook his head, his expression miserable. "What am I supposed to do? If I were to touch her, desire her as a woman, I would do nothing but taint her. Make her as dirty as myself. She deserves better. Someone who can love endlessly like she does." He became silent.

When the sorceress was certain that he was finished she began, "A man makes his own decision, Velten. Just because your father chased skirts doesn't mean that you had to do the same thing. Have you no discipline at all? In addition, if you really had no principles like you say then you would not have tried to save Eleanor from yourself. You would have used her and discarded her like all the other lovers. The truth is that she is precious to you, but you my friend, are so worried that there is a demoness out there who can ensnare you and bring your escapades to an end that you deny your feelings for her and you push her away."

She watched him carefully before she really dug her heels in. "All you have done is hurt her and hurt yourself. You don't even realize that you hurt yourself worst of all. Worse than Eleanor and worse than any of the women you have thrown away. You go from woman to woman looking to feel fulfilled but every time you bed one of them you feel a little more hollow inside, a little more stained and a little more dirty and then you hope that the next woman would make you feel better. Sure she strokes your ego and other things..." the witch smiled at the innuendo, as she continued, "and for a brief time you feel good, but then the shame, the pain and that void in your heart returns and you wonder why and so you take the quick fix of the next female beauty, but it does not work."

Velten was about to say that she was wrong but Tsubaki did not let up, "Don't argue!" she spitted out. Vehemently she continued, "Put a stop to this childish, stupid behaviour. The solution is all very simple. You love Eleanor and this is why you endeavour to protect her from yourself. If you really did not want her, you would have released her a long time ago. You tell yourself that it is because you don't want anyone else to hurt her. SUCH RUBBISH! You have hurt her enough for a dozen men. STOP IT! Stop deluding yourself. Eleanor has been there and is waiting for you for all these years. She knows what you are like, but she is begging you to become more. She sees what you can be even if you can't see it. You made yourself feel dirty so many times that you don't see the good anymore... but she does. She is waiting with outstretched arms for you to come to her. She wants to rescue you! She loves you Velten... What else do you need? Can any of the women who you have been with compare to that? You have a jewel in your hand but you think you are going to taint its lustre if you do not stay away but you don't anyone else to get their hands on this gem. Get over yourself and let her love you Velten. That is all she wants to do."

"All fine words, Tsubaki but it is too late for me." Velten said in a defeated voice. "There is nothing she can do, Tsubaki!"

Hana was listening on the outside as she was moved to tears at Tsubaki's words and when she heard Tsubaki retort, "Look at what Hana does for Vivi... Now tell me that you are beyond redemption..." she began to sob. Her heart was so full. The redhead's words were so true and it applied to her too. She had not realized how much she and Eleanor were alike in what they represented for the men they loved. She and Eleanor were not only friends, they were sisters in arms. They armed themselves with love and understanding and it affords the men in their life a new beginning. She hurried away then not wanting to be discovered.

The craft made its way up the River Thames and soon they surfaced. They had arrived. Tsubaki made this announcement across the simple intercom system which consisted of a series of tubes and asked everyone to report on deck. When they disembarked with their baggage their hostess turned to the porpoises and thanked them in their language. They responded with hearty bursts of whistles and clicks and going below the waters once again, they disappeared.

"Come," the smiling sorceress said to her friends. We have to follow a pathway and then we will come to the gateway which connects Earth to Avanon. There is one other who will be joining our party. We will encounter him in a few minutes." She turned towards a well wooded pathway and she said, "This way..."

Standing five minutes up the pathway Tsubaki lead them on was a tall slim man with white hair and pointed ears. It was no other than Lucifer's sword-toting-butler-bodyguard, Gilbert.

Vivi seemed unsurprised, but both Hana and Eleanor were shocked. "Tsubaki... I think you got the wrong information." Velten said half joking-half serious. It was worrisome that of all the people who could find out where they were and possibly what they were up to was the Demon King's right hand man.

"No. I was not misinformed." Tsubaki said evenly. "I asked Vivi to send a message to him to requesting his presence here. I also sent a message to Davinia."

"But why?" Eleanor was confused. "Of all the people..."

"This is the weapons master who will be instructing Hana from now on. There are certain skills that I lack which Hana must learn." She paused and then said, "Besides, I trust him."

"You trust him..." Eleanor could not believe her ears. "What in the world makes you think that you can trust him? He reports directly to The King."

Tsubaki smiled slightly and whispered, "I have faith in my abilities, Eleanor... I can trust him, at least for now."

Eleanor was about to argue but since she did not want Gilbert overhearing what they were saying she swallowed her comments.

Tsubaki said softly, "Let me speak to him first." They allowed her to move forward alone and she approached Gilbert. As she stepped closer, Tsubaki was surprised to realize that she was feeling a little nervous. Not liking this feeling, she crushed it and said, "I am glad that you could make it, Gilbert." She had his undivided attention and the uncomfortable feeling returned as he looked down into her eyes. His eyes seem to search her as if they were seeking some sort of information and so she looked down hiding them from his unnerving gaze.

"Tsubaki-sama," he began, "I am not sure why you requested my presence, but I knew that my curiosity would not be satisfied until I met you." He paused, looking at the crown of her head and then said, "Why do you look away?"

She raised her head then and cursed herself for being shy. The great Nimue was shy? How many centuries did she live? Now all of a sudden she was feeling like a naive little girl... She hated it. She was confident, wise and assertive... "I was thinking, Gilbert..." She looked back up into his eyes and held his gaze.

"Are you wondering if you made a mistake inviting me here?" Gilbert wanted to know. His voice was cryptic.

She shook her head and smiled slightly, "No. I did not make a mistake. I can trust you... I need your help, Gilbert."

Gilbert was confused but also very intrigued. "What is it that you wish of me? I cannot imagine that a powerful witch such as you would require anything of me!"

"Are you trying to flatter me?" she asked in a flirtatious tone. Yes! She smiled to herself. The old Tsubaki was back... Daring and sexy.

"Should I be?" Gilbert inquired. "Do you not like it when I make observations about you?"

Tsubaki laughed and asked, "Oh... is that what you have been doing? Making observations? What else have you observed then?"

"Are you fishing for compliments?" Gilbert was amused and he allowed what he was feeling to permeate his voice.

"And if I were?" Tsubaki asked with a tilted head and upturned bedroom eyes. "What would you say to me?" she smiled.

A teasing glint appeared in Gilbert's eyes and he replied, "I would say that I have limited time and I need to find out what you need for me. I must be in the Demon World by nightfall."

Tsubaki's smile died on her lips, but she quickly recovered and said, "Yes of course." She swallowed hard, thoroughly embarrassed and was disappointed that Gilbert did not say something else.

She was about to tell him about Hana when he suddenly said, "And I would also say that you are one of the most beautiful females I have ever seen."

"What?" Tsubaki was stunned. No one had ever said that to her before and she was unprepared for a compliment of that nature. She was convinced that he was going to say something about her magical prowess. _Surely he did not mean it!_ She thought to herself. She became annoyed. She did not understand why she felt this way but she did not stop herself from voicing her thoughts. "You don't have to make fun of me if you are short on time, Gilbert!"

The demon did not miss the indignation in her voice and he was perplexed by it. _Don't women like it when a man says that they are beautiful?_ he questioned himself. Shaking his head he began "I... I did not mean to offend you, Tsubaki-sama... I..." He stopped. _I was teasing her and she became embarrassed but then she became angry when I called her beautiful... Oh! I see! She thinks that I don't mean it._ Taking a deep breath he said, "Tsubaki, I was not trying to flatter you. I was being honest in my opinion and appraisal of your beauty."

She blushed. _So he has realized... _She felt stupid and blurted out angrily, "I don't need your appraisal or your patronage!" Gilbert was now even more confused and so thought it best to remain silent. _Gosh! I did not mean to sound like a complete bitch!_ She said to herself when she saw Gilbert's expression. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips downturned. She knew she was too harsh and needed to apologize. "I am sorry... I should not have said that." _Why am I so angry?_ "Thank you for the compliment, Gilbert."

Wanting to get away from this irritating topic she said, "Let us discuss why I asked you to meet me here."

He nodded mutely and she continued. His silence made her feel really bad. _Was he being serious with me when he called me one of the most beautiful women he had ever met? _"I need someone to help me train Hana. She is in need of knife throwing skills. I was thinking that since you are Lucifer's bodyguard that you would be proficient in all sorts of weaponry. You have mastered knife throwing, haven't you?"

"Yes." was his succinct reply. His face now lost all expression. It was as animated as a stone sculpture.

Tsubaki felt even worse now. The little of the real Gilbert that he displayed to her was now erased. He was no longer willing to show her anything of himself. He returned to his former cold and unyielding self who brought the Demon King's invitations to Vivi's birthday party months ago. She pressed ahead with the matter at hand. She needed not to think of silly things like his relationship with her. _What_ _relationship?_ She wondered. _Stop thinking such trivialities and move on, _she scolded herself. "Will you help me train Hana? She needs to be prepared for the war ahead."

"Tsubaki-sama," his voice was cold, "I do not see how I can do this. I am required to stay at my King's side at all times."

"Then take a holiday." She said.

Gilbert almost laughed out loud at her suggestion. "Take a holiday?" he was incredulous. "I have not left His Majesty's side for more than a few hours in hundreds of years."

"Then it is time to take a vacation!" Tsubaki declared

"This is preposterous!" Gilbert announced.

"So be preposterous for once in your life!" Tsubaki said.

"This is nothing short of ridiculous! And even if I wanted to do this my Master will never consent to it!"

"Yes he will!" Tsubaki insisted.

"What utter nonsense!" Gilbert was about to say something when he felt the presence of someone he knew.

"His Majesty has given you the permission to take time off. He said that you can take as much time as you need." The voice was calm and feminine.

"Davina!" Gilbert whirled around to see his sister standing behind him with her hands clasped behind her back. "What is going on here?"

"I requested a leave of absence for you."

"You what?"

"You are overworked, nii-sama. Our Lord thought that it was a good idea." She then produced a scroll from behind her back and holding it out to her brother she said, "Here are His Majesty's orders." When Gilbert took it from her and began to scan its contents she continued. "You have the time now. You can go wherever you wish, ni-sama."

"So you two women are in cahoots?" They said nothing so he asked, "Why has His Majesty allowed this?"

Davinia smiled sweetly and said, "His Majesty is looking forward to it. He said that if he would not have to listen to your nagging for a few weeks then he would be most happy."

"Did he ask where I was going to?" Gilbert demanded.

"No. He was so happy to get time alone that he did not ask, but he suggested the Human World. He said that you needed to have some fun. 'Get a girlfriend...' he said".

Gilbert crushed the scroll he was holding until it snapped. "Get a girlfriend?" He asked angrily. Both Davinia and Tsubaki were surprised by his display of emotion but made no comment. Instead they looked at Gilbert closely. "So he wishes to rest from his duties? So be it!" Gilbert sounded furious, tired and defeated. "I cannot go against his direct orders." He turned away from both of the women, looking off into the tree tops. It was already early afternoon. He did not have much time left. "Who will replace me as Royal Bodyguard?"

"I will." Davinia answered.

"Alright." Was his only reply. His younger sister was vigilant and careful and he had trained her himself so there was no need to worry. But still he could not stay with Tsubaki and her party for weeks. That was impossible. Turning back to Tsubaki he said, "I am the best possible choice as Weapons Instructor, but I cannot join this group."

Tsubaki's heart sank. "Why not?" After all the trouble she went through to get a message to him and to ask Davinia to speak to the King about a holiday for Gilbert.

"I need to be away from all others when the sun sets."

"Done!" the red haired witch said.

"What?" How could she say that so simply, Gilbert wondered.

"You will be given quarters where you will be left undisturbed whenever you want. In fact I can give you an entire villa if you need it."

Tsubaki was making this all too easy and Gilbert did not like relinquishing control to anyone over his own person. He did not wish to be anyone's guest. "Tsubaki... I cannot..."

She cut him off smoothly by saying, "No one questions my authority in Avanon. I am one of the most powerful beings there. If there is anything you want or need, Gilbert, you have but to ask. I need your skill and I need to enable you to be at your very best while instructing Hana. I will therefore strive to make your stay as my guest as comfortable as possible. There is nothing I will not give to you if it is within my power. You have my word."

Gilbert felt somewhat reassured by the conviction in her voice. "Will I be left completely undisturbed at nights?" he wanted to know.

"Yes! You can have anything you want!" Tsubaki said confidently.

He nodded wordlessly. When Davinia returned to the Demon World and Tsubaki asked the others to proceed up the path. She was left alone with Gilbert once again and they walked after their friends. When she heard his voice she turned to him. "I cannot stay indefinitely. How long will you need me?" he asked her.

"I do not know how long Hana will take to learn the skills, but we can start with a month."

"A month!" He could not believe his pointed ears. "I am afraid..."

"Do not be troubled!" Tsubaki smiled. Time passes differently on Earth and for the Demon World. A month with me in Avanon will barely be a week in your world"

"Time discontinuity?"

"Yes," she smiled again but then her mind wandered back to their earlier conversation. "Gilbert," she said ceasing walking, "I am really sorry about my abominable behaviour. I should have taken your compliments much more elegantly." She contemplated her shoes.

"It was not a compliment, Tsubaki." He said looking at her downcast head. "I was my honest opinion of you."

She looked up at him then and said, "Then I thank you!" Suddenly she leaned closer to him and wrapped her right arm around his left one. She hugged it to her side and placed her head on his shoulder. Gilbert was taken by surprised and he cleared his throat as he became nervous. He did not pull away but he was so stunned that he simply stood there transfixed to the spot. Loosening her grip she looked up at him. She could clearly see that he was uncomfortable so she removed her arm and stepped away from him. "I apologize," she said in a low voice. She was ashamed and spoke in a hushed tone. "I did not mean to..." Unsure what to say she tried to think of something.

As Tsubaki looked away chastising herself again for being so stupid and wondering why she was so drawn to this cold statue of a demon, Gilbert approached her noiselessly and gently took her right arm and wrapped it around his left arm like she did before. "Gilbert..." she trailed off. She was at once surprised but overwhelmingly happy at the little gesture.

"I was just surprised. Please do not think that I find your contact repulsive in any way. You and our touches are unexpected but not unwelcomed." _Did I really say that? _Gilbert was confused_. Must be all this blasted sunlight! How does Vivi do it? _

Tsubaki did not know what to say. So Gilbert did not dislike it when she was close to him. She smiled to herself as she went up the pathway with him linked by arm. She saw Hana look back at them.

Hana laughed to herself. Silently she said,_ Seems like Tsubaki is also a sister in arms. I wonder if she can make Gilbert's life happy? Will she be able to put his life back together after it fell apart? Three Sisters in Arms... I like it!_

**That is all folks. Next time we get to see where Tsubaki lives! YAY! THANKS for reading and if you like it please review! :) **


	22. The Queen Has Returned

**Chapter 22: The Queen Has Returned **

Within an hour the party of friends stood before the Gateway. It was a simple semicircular stone arch. Its badly weathered appearance was testament to its age for it had been standing there for at least 12 centuries. While most of the blocks that comprised the arch were brown and broken with age, the keystone gleamed white and on its face a symbol shaped like the hilt of a broad sword was imprinted. Tsubaki approached the arch and placed her hands on either side on each of the impost blocks. Her outstretched arms made the distance neatly as if it was made for her and when she pressed against the blocks the embossed hilt symbol retreated into the keystone. The space within the archway seemed to waver and ripple like the surface of water and suddenly another world could be seen.

Tsubaki lead the way into a prairie land filled with lush grasses and lit by a morning sun. Interspersed among the grasses that reached their thighs were some wide trees and up ahead there was a field of wildflowers beyond which there was a river that was so wide that it seemed to stretch off into the horizon. As they neared the sea of flowers they were immersed in their fragrance and could hear the gurgling water of the river. Dominated by bluebells, dandelions, daisies scarlet pimpernel and foxgloves the field looked like a god had been painting with the most beautiful shades of green, red and violet and threw in some pristine white for good measure. Hana was all smiles and wasted no time to run around looking and smelling the flowers. Vivi watched her in interest as she became a 5 year old girl again. Even surrounded by such beauty as the wildflowers presented, his flower was an exotic orchid which easily overshadowed all others.

Vivi had asked himself many times before but he wondered once again how such innocence could really exist and if he was truly worthy of the love from such a creature. _"I will be only yours, no one else's."_ she had said to him and he believed her but what had he done in his life to deserve her? He had looked over his life and could not find anything that made him good enough to be the one to receive Hana's love… His thoughts were interrupted when Hana grabbed his hand to pull him to see a particular flower. She picked it held it out to him. "You know what happens when demons touch flowers Hana."he said.

"I know," she said, "but I still want to give it to you."

"Then I shall accept." He replied smiling and held out his hand.

Tsubaki smiled at the couple's antics. She then looked at what her other guests were doing. She saw Velten chatting with Eleanor. Whatever he was saying had her cheeks blazing and Tsubaki shook her head. She had silently made up her mind that the next time Velten hurt Eleanor's feelings that she was going to give him a sound thrashing. Someone needed to teach that demon boy a lesson and she knew just what punishment was needed. She smiled again as she contemplated it.

Lastly, Tsubaki then turned her gaze to Gilbert. She was taken aback when she saw that he was watching Hana and Vivi. She tilted her head slightly so that she could get a better look at his face and his expression. Gilbert was looking at them intently and he looked sad… With deeply furrowed brows and lips that were pressed hard together and downturned, Gilbert looked absolutely cheerless. She looked back at Vivi and Hana who were idly walking together with linked hands away from the group. She recalled what Hana related to her about Gilbert. _"Something happened and his life fell apart 200 years ago and he became a living doll…_" _So it had something to do with a woman_… the witch concluded.

Slowly she moved closer the demon knight and then said, "Penny for your thought."

He looked down into her upturned face and did not reply for a few seconds. "Nothing worth sharing."

"That's okay. People tell me that I am a good listener." She smiled slightly.

"It is a rather depressing story dating back over 200 years." His voice was flat, not cold but emotionless.

Tsubaki looked away for a moment and then back to him. "When you are ready to talk about it, I will be there to listen." She knew that it would be unwise to pressure him into anything. He was not the type who shared anything with anyone without good reason. She sensed that with time he had built walls around himself and his heart and that it would be very difficult for her to breech those defenses. If there was a chink in his armour anywhere she was determined to be the person to find it.

"I will remember that." Was all he said before he looked away.

Tsubaki thought it best to proceed to her place of residence. Gathering her friends she led them to the far end of the flower field to the river. She stepped into the water and waded in until the water was shoulder high. She removed her all her clothing and then stepped in further until she was completely covered. She remained out of their sights for about a few minutes and then suddenly four mermaids shot out of the water and back flipped in midair before diving back into the water. They then resurfaced and began singing a song.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble and innumerable ripples were made on the river's surface from the vibrations. A great rumbling noise filled the air and in front of the spectators peaks began to slowly rise from the water. After some time a small castle with two wings separated by a wide wall into which an arching door was fixed took shape. Both Gilbert and Vivi noticed that on the keystone of the arch was a symbol matching the one on the Gateway.

When the entire castle was sitting on the surface of the lake, the door opened with a great creaking sound and from within the castle Tsubaki emerged dressed in a fitted shimmering gold and white gown that reached her ankles. Draped over her shoulders the long silver-white satin mantle which extended into a long train behind her was held together over her breasts by a large mother of pearl pin shaped like a cresting wave. On her head she wore a thin tiara and in her hand she carried a silver scepter topped with a large blue gem. More mermaids had appeared and they all bowed in reverence when she stepped out. In unison they said, "Welcome back, my Queen."

Tsubaki bowed back to them slightly and said, "Thank you. These five are my guests. They shall be treated with all the respect you hold for me." She commanded softly.

"Yes, my Lady." was replied by all of her subjects.

Turning to her guests she said, "Please come in and make yourselves at home. This will be your humble residence until we quit Avanon."

When they were indoors Hana said, "You never told me that you were a Queen, Tsubaki."

She shrugged. "I guess it never came up in conversation." She laughed and said, "I am the same Tsubaki, right? I have not changed."

Hana was not convinced totally but she had decided to put her trust in Tsubaki and so replied, "I guess…" She paused and then asked, "So what else did you not tell me?"

"Well I never told you that I am the current ruler of Avanon." When Hana shook her head to indicate that she had indeed not been told that Tsubaki smiled and said, "Well I am the Queen on all Avanon and there is no being more powerful than me here. This is a water haven and here I am considered to be the Water Goddess." She knew that they were tired after their trip so she called four hand maids and commanded each one in turn to show Vivi, Hana, Eleanor and Velten their rooms. She was then left alone with Gilbert.

"What else have you been hiding from us?" Gilbert asked.

Tsubaki smiled as a really naughty thought crossed her mind. She wondered if she should say what she was thinking or not. She was Queen so why not… Smiling sweetly she said seductively, "Why don't you come to my chambers tonight and find out for yourself..."

For the first time in over 200 years Gilbert felt his blood rise. He was suddenly hot under the collar and was unable to make a reply. When he felt his cheeks begin to heat up as illicit thoughts of Tsubaki and him in bed flooded his head he abruptly turned away. Seeing his reaction, Tsubaki continued, "Oh that's right… You wish to be alone at nights." She laughed huskily and tiptoeing she leaned into him purposefully allowing her breasts to touch his right upper arm and shoulder "Your loss, my demon." She swiftly moved away smiling from ear to ear and summoning a maid she commanded her to show Gilbert to his quarters and then gave instructions to all her staff that no one was to disturb him until he emerged from his room.

Gilbert followed the maid wordlessly thinking about Tsubaki and his imaginations intensified. If he was anyone else he would have taken her up on that offer. He would have loved to see the expression on her face if he were to steal into her bedroom at night. He then wondered what she would do if he tried to make love to her.

Gilbert shook his head in disgust. _What the hell am I thinking…? As if I would ever do that… It is not as if I could…_ He then grew infinitely angry. Millicent was completely destroyed but he could not escape what that demoness had done to him. Even after 200 years there was no help for him and he could not let himself love another woman. He had planned to use Tsubaki's feelings of attraction for him against her. He needed to know everything she knew before he reported to his King. But this plan made him feel sick inside. Was he doing anything different from what Millicent had done to him? He could not go through with his plan, but at the same time he could neither allow Tsubaki's feelings for him to deepen nor could be allow his feelings for her to grow further. Only then did he realize that he was really developing feelings for the sorceress…

_Maybe Davinia was right…Maybe Tsubaki would be the woman to…_ He stooped his crazy string of thoughts. No use trying to hope for the impossible. He could not love or be physical with a woman and that was that. If the omnipotent Queen of Avanon was helpless to help him fight his affliction then there was nothing that could be done. He was destined to die a lonely monster…


	23. The Lonely Queen

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.

Thank you FanGirl3000 for your review!

**Chapter 23: A Lonely Queen **

Tsubaki's guests slept for most of the day. She had told her maids to notify her immediately when any of them had awakened. She could not wait to see Ayame again and give her an update about Hana. Ayame was also a healer and there was no one Tsubaki trusted more to help Hana gain control of her abilities. In Ayame's capable hands Tsubaki was assured that the locks which bounded Hana's powers would be lifted without major complications.

For right now, Tsubaki had something else on her mind. Tsubaki had been thinking about Gilbert constantly since she left his side earlier today. She ran through the time they spent together again and again in her head. She could do nothing to keep herself from smiling when she recalled how he called her beautiful. She found the way he panicked and stiffened when she took hold of his arm endearing and she laughed to herself when she remembered his reaction when she told him to come to her room. She also could not help but wonder now if he would come to her at night. She shook her head. _Of course he would not! He is too proper for that._ However, that did not mean that she could not think about it and dream about what it would be like to be with him. _It would be sinfully good…_ In the arms of a handsome demon she was attracted to she could easily see herself loving every minute of it. If it did not risk so much, she would have started to seduce him already.

She bit down on her bottom lip as she considered her situation. She had felt attraction before, but never like this. Of course in the 5 lifetimes she had lived she had met many handsome and attractive men but never had she been this drawn to anyone… Could it be that she had finally met her match? A feeling of excitement and exhilaration flowed through her. Her heartbeat quickened and she felt breathless… Could he be the one she was searching for? She had had visions of her mate, but never got a good look at his face. This was not surprising since if he was to be reincarnated like she was, then his appearance would be irrelevant from incarnation to incarnation. How long had it been since she had vision of the man meant to take her heart? She recalled the last one she had.

These visualizations were always sexual in nature. She would see herself making passionate love to someone. His lean body would be flexing and moving as they become one as she would be grabbing his well muscled back with all her might as she cried out in ecstasy. She had also seen, in other visions, that she was to bear a child; his child… Tsubaki smiled and hugged herself tightly as an intense feeling of warmth washed over her. If Gilbert was the one she was looking for then there was nothing in Hell, Heaven or Earth that was going to keep them separated. She had waited long enough. She wanted to feel what love was and she also wished for a baby. She wanted to experience all these things that she had silently observed over and over again in all her previous lives. She had to tell someone but she needed to feed her guests and settle them in first. Then she was going to pour all her feelings out to Hana and Eleanor and hopefully together they would be able to figure out how to handle this situation.

By late afternoon her guests began to rise one by one. Vivi was the first to awaken and the first thing he did was call for Toni. He quickly realized that he did not take Toni with him on this… this jaunt. He hated not having his butler… "Now who is going to draw my bath?" he asked aloud. He pulled the thick chord that was suspended above his bed and within seconds someone knocked on his door. When he gave the command to come in a young girl of maybe 17 years came in with a bowed head.

"Yes, Master." She said faintly like she was afraid.

Vivi hated the sound of fear in her voice but ignoring it he said, "Send me a man servant to draw me a bath."

Without raising her eyes the girl said, "I am sorry my lord, there are no menservants in this castle."

"What? Why not…? So then who is going to help me get dressed?" Vivi could not believe what he was hearing.

"The Queen only allows female servants in the castle, my Lord. There are only handmaidens here."

"That is unacceptable. I cannot allow a handmaiden to help me get dressed. Why does Tsubaki have such a stupid rule about male servants?"

The girl gasped. _How could anyone question what the Queen did in Avanon?_ She thought in shock. After a few seconds she replied with force in her voice, "That rule has been in existence for many centuries. No males are allowed to be in the service of our Queen. In fact every member of staff in this castle is a maiden. When it is time for us to be mated we must leave this service."

"So that is why you are so young? Should you not be in school?"

"This is finishing school, my lord. Every female must spend at least one year in direct service of the Queen when her formal academics are completed." The girl raised her head for the first time and looked at Vivi. She then proudly continued, "I have already completed the equivalent of the high school on Earth and I can further my studies in any area that I choose when my year of service is complete."

"So what is the purpose of this year of service?" Vivi questioned. "Why must every woman do it and what of the men?"

"It is said that every person in Avanon must be a servant of the state, regardless of his or her station in life. No matter how high your birth, you must be a servant at some point. This teaches us humility and the meaning of good service to each other. The men do a similar program, but they go to the Lord Regent's castle."

"The Lord Regent?" Vivi wanted to know who that was.

"He who is appointed by the Queen to rule in her place when she is absent."

"I see… And who is this Lord Regent?" Vivi was curious.

"His name is Sir Galahad, my lord."

"Hnn…" Vivi paused and then said, "Now back to my original question… Who is going to help me get dressed?"

"My lord… Shall I ask her Majesty what to do?"

"Yes, that would be best, wouldn't it?"

Both Hana and Eleanor got showered and dressed without problem. Velten was still asleep. When the handmaid told her Queen Vivi's problem Tsubaki groaned. Not only was her daydream about Gilbert ruined, but she had to go see the spoilt demon prince. She knocked on Vivi's door and when he said enter she came in and promptly said, "Vivi, dress yourself!"

Vivi's eyes narrowed. "Get me a manservant."

"That is forbidden." She stated.

"I am a demon, do you think that the forbidden bothers me. Get me a manservant."

"Get dressed yourself!" She repeated.

"Why is this stupid rule in existence?" Vivi was annoyed.

"It is in existence to protect the Queen." She replied.

"The Omnipotent Tsubaki?" Vivi teased. "Is there a man in Avanon who could match your power?"

"No, but the Omnipotent Queen has one weakness. No one knows this so it stays between us!" she took a deep breath before she continued. "If I were to fall in love with the wrong man and spend a night with him, I would lose my powers."

Vivi's frowned. "Lose your powers? The wrong man?" he was confused.

"There is only one man who I can be mated to." She said. What was that in a voice? A trace of sadness, perhaps? "If I were to mate with another man then I will lose all my power and become a normal mortal.

"And who is this man…?" Vivi wanted to know.

"I am not sure… but based on my reaction to him it may be Gilbert."

Vivi almost laughed at the humour of that. "Gilbert?" he asked unbelievingly. "Gilbert? The cold-as –ice, statue-of-a-demon butler?"

Tsubaki swallowed hard and nodded, lacking the strength to even say yes in words.

Vivi felt pity for the woman in front of him. "Gilbert will not become your mate, Tsubaki. I have heard rumours about him. We both know that rumours are not to be taken seriously, but it is said that he has never been with a woman…" He paused and then added, "No, he does not have a male lover either. It seems that he has no interest in anything sexual. I sometimes wonder about him. A celibate demon… Why would a demon take a vow of celibacy is beyond even my understanding, but in the 195 years that I have known Gilbert I have never known him to have a lover."

"I suspected as much…" She smiled weakly and then said, "Maybe he has been waiting for me then…" She sighed loudly and continued, "I know that this foolish of me to think but what can I do…? I am inexplicably drawn to him. I have never experienced this before. I have lived for almost five centuries and this is the first time I have been interested in a male…" She flung her hands in the air and sat down at the foot of Vivi's bed. With her back turned to him she asked, "What should I do?"

Vivi said with a crooked smile, "Make certain that he is the one and seduce him."

Tsubaki spun around to look at him. When she saw his expression she burst out laughing. "That is what I planned to do… Are there any tricks when it comes to seducing demons?"

"Yes, there is actually… Wear something redder than blood, shorter than a pigmy and tighter than a noose."

She laughed again, "I like your style, duke… Sooooo… should I also tell Hana to wear something like that for you?"

Tsubaki did not miss Vivi's reaction to her question. He shivered when he thought of Hana in short and tight red lingerie. Finally he answered, "Only tell her that after nuptials. I won't be able to resist her if she were to wear it before our wedding night."

Tsubaki laughed for a third time and said, "I will have my seamstress make two sets of this lingerie. I will give Hana hers after her wedding with you and I will use mine on Gilbert."

Vivi laughed then. "You scheming woman! Get out and find me a manservant!"

Tsubaki made a loud sound of annoyance and shouted, "No! Dress yourself." In a softer voice she said with a wink, "If you can't do it then get Hana to help you!"

Vivi reached behind him and getting a pillow hurled it at Tsubaki who easily caught it. "Get out and let me get dressed!"

"Oh? You know how?" she asked as she left. "Dinner will be at 6pm."

Dinner was a simple one of seafood. The staff wanted to put out a feast in celebration of the Queen's return, but Tsubaki said no. Why give her servants so much work anyway? Besides she was exhausted after using her skills throughout the journey. The only part of her that felt alive was her heart. It was singing… The very thought that she had found the one for her filled her entire being. She would have to make certain like Vivi said. Fortunately there was a test and she would ask Ayame to help her with its preparation. In the mean time she felt like she would burst if she did not tell someone all about it. So after dinner she asked Eleanor and Hana to join her in one of her sitting rooms and she spilled it all.

Hana and Eleanor were giggling through the whole story. Tsubaki related to them everything that she and Gilbert did through the entire day but omitted the information concerning how she could lose her powers. She also told them that she thinks that she is falling in love with Gilbert. "He may be the man for me." she said in conclusion. Hana could not withhold her excitement, and Eleanor said,

"Tsubaki, Gilbert is so proper and serious while you are so playful. You do balance each other out, I guess. But what are you going to do?"

"I am going to find out if he is the one for me and I also have to determine if he has any feelings for me."

"How will you do this?"

Tsubaki shook her head slowly, "There is something… A test that he must face and pass. If he is not my destined mate, then he will fail."|

"Then," Hana said, "do this as quickly as possible, before your feelings for him become stronger."

Tsubkai took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. All the time throughout this conversation she felt like her heart was beating too fast. She was excited but she was also feeling something else. "I am afraid…"

"Afraid?" The other two women asked simultaneously. "Why?"

Her lips trembled as she spoke. "I am afraid that he will fail…"

"No! Don't be afraid. If he fails then he is not the one and you will have something to look forward to!" Eleanor suggested.

Tsubaki was near tears. "You don't understand… I have been waiting for this for almost 500 years… I want to know what it is like to be loved by a man… I…" Tears began to escape her eyes, "I have never been in love and no other man has interested me… I guess… I guess I am a bit lonely."

Hana smiled and said, "But, Tsubaki, you are not even giving this a chance! Gilbert may be the one you are looking for! Give him the test… There is a chance that he is the one to love you… your destined mate!"

Tsubaki smiled and hugged Hana. "You are right! I will give him the test within two days. The not-knowing is killing me!"

"Then I wish you all the luck in the world!" Eleanor said.

"Thank you both. You are true friends!"

Tsubaki would make the necessary preparations. She was going to put Gilbert to the test. If he passed she was determined that not even he would get in her way of finally discovering what love was all about.

**I know! I know! I don't like doing short chapters either, but I have to because different things are going on here. So, hope you enjoyed it and please review! **


	24. Hearts Utterly Broken

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.

Thank you **Rawr135** for your review!

**Chapter 24: Hearts Utterly Broken **

Tsubaki sat in her throne room recalling last afternoon. She had taken her guests out into Avalon to a local market. It was bustling with activity as crowds of people milled around stalls and stands filled with all sorts of goods. They joined the plethora of people looking at and purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, rice, wheat and other dry foods, clothing, jewellery and many other items. She had given each of her guests a large some of money and told them to spend as much as they liked on anything they found there.

Tsubaki had dressed in a cheap nondescript travelling habit and kept her head covered so that her people would not recognize her. She was then free to keep her eyes on her guests and watched as Hana dragged Vivi to a candy stall and bought some homemade chocolates. The girl tasted one and loved it so much that she decided to get some for Eleanor, who was looking at some necklaces with Velten. He selected a gold one with black stones and told her that she should get that one. Tsubaki then look around for Gilbert, but he was no where to be found. She thought that he may have gone to the far side of the market where weapons were being sold. On her way there she saw a stall with some beautiful silk scarves and shawls and made a note to go there once she found the silver-haired demon.

Sure enough she saw him admiring a dagger with a bejewelled hilt. Tsubaki could not deny that he was lovely to watch. His movements were so poised and so elegant. His tall, lean body was beautifully figured and not even a single strand of hair was out of place. She watched intently as he ran his right index finger down the blade. He turned it over in this hand and hefted it for weight. He seemed satisfied with its craftsmanship and so taking some gold coins out of his money pouch he paid the proprietor. He then placed the dagger in his belt behind his back under his travelling mantle, obscuring it from view. He continued looking around again to find another good buy. Then he saw a set of throwing knives. Tsubaki smiled to herself when she saw him inspecting them. _So he intended to teach Hana after all!_ she mused. When he had inspected each blade held in a wooden box, he closed it and said to the proprietor that he was going to take it. Once it was paid for he placed the box under his arm and proceeded along the street.

After a few hours she gathered them to her and said that it was time to leave. On her way to her citadel she suddenly remembered that she had not gone back to the shawl shop. Instead she kept watching over her friends especially Gilbert who received a special serving of stalking from the Queen. Maybe next time… When they arrived back at the castle, she suggested that they relaxed until dinner. Hana went with Eleanor to the demoness' room so she could give her the chocolates. Little did she know that Eleanor had also bought her a gift. Vivi muttered something about going to the library and Velten said he was going to take a nap. Once again Tsubaki and Gilbert were left alone.

She led him to the guest sitting room thinking that they could chat about Hana's lessons. When they got there Gilbert did something most unexpected. Reaching into the inner pocket of his mantle, he produced a small brown paper package held together with a blue satin ribbon and held it out to her without saying a word. "What is this" she involuntarily asked as she reached for it. Her fingers brushed against his as she took it and she felt a tiny electric current pass between them. Clearing her throat nervously she asked, "Should I open it now?"

"You may be whatever you wish." He replied softly.

Smiling like the Cheshire Cat, she sat down on one of the sofas and placing the package in her lap she tugged at one end of the ribbon. The ribbon fell loose and the package opened to reveal a piece of black cloth on which there was golden embroidery. Carefully lifting it out, she opened it and saw that it was a black silk shawl with fringed edges and the delicate golden embroidery mapped out intricately drawn roses. She looked up at Gilbert who was silently standing looking at the tips of his boots like a shy boy. Wrapping the shawl around her shoulders she jumped up from where she was sitting and said, "I love it! It is absolutely lovely!"

He raised his eyes then to her face. She was smiling broadly and her eyes reflected her bliss. "A gift for our hostess." He told her.

She laughed. "It is perfect. I wanted to purchase a shawl but I forgot to and then you present me with one!" She rushed over to him and grabbing his shoulders she pulled herself up and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Gilbert! The gift could not have been better." She said to him. Her face was so close to his and as she looked up into his eyes, he dropped his eyes down to her lips. If he only leaned in a few centimetres he could capture her lips with his…

Pulling away a little he said, "It pleases me to know that I made a good choice."

Tsubaki was a little disappointed that only his eyes caressed her lips, but she knew that he was thinking of kissing her and that was good enough for now. She released his shoulders and he excused himself and she allowed him to leave.

All Tsubaki wanted was to stop thinking and wondering about Gilbert. It was beginning to drive her quite insane and she could stand it no more. She needed to administer the test and find out if he was really the man she had been waiting so long to meet. She had to know and she had to know now. There was something bothering her though... Why was it that he needed to be left undisturbed for the entirety of his nights? She just knew something was wrong, very wrong. Tonight would make it the fourth night that her guests were staying with her and many times for the last three nights she wanted to sneak into his room and see why he needed so much time alone. Of course she had given him her word that no one would bother him and that included herself. Her curiosity was just about to overflow as she desperately tried to think of some way to get around it.

She gave up trying to find a solution in frustration and knew that she would have to just break her word and spy on him... She had an ability that no one knew about. She could use water surfaces as windows. As long as there was water nearby she was able to see through the water surface. Every guest quarter had a large pool for bathing or soaking and there was also a bowl, as large as a face sink, which was kept filled with water in every bedroom. So she could look into the rooms using the contained water. Needless to say she would not like to do this but she had to find out, but she had not yet decided if she wanted to do something so deceitful.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she received a message that the King Reagent would like to visit her this evening. He could not have chosen a worse time for Tsubaki was about to leave to see Ayame! To refuse him would be an insult, but she could put off visiting Ayame no longer. She sent a message back informing the King that yes indeed she could receive him. She then hastily went into the sitting room where most of her guests were gathered having after-breakfast tea and she told Vivi, Eleanor and Velten that she had to go out but would be back by late afternoon in time for the King Reagent's visit. She then made her way to the training room where Gilbert and Hana was.

Like yesterday she decided to observe them for a few minutes before interrupting them. She fixed her gaze on Gilbert. He was dressed in black slacks and short booths and waist length forest green tunic. His hair was slightly ruffled and she watched as he unbuttoned the cuffs of the tunic and rolled the sleeved up. She took special note of his forearms, which were much more muscular than the tunic lead one to believe, and his beautifully shaped hands with their long lithe fingers. She continued looking at him as he picked up his katana and said to his student, "I will demonstrate a new sword kata." His movements were strong and fluid, perfect like a well choreographed dance. Tsubaki smiled and when he was finished she said from the doorway, "You should be banned, Gilbert." She approached them.

"Oh hi, Tsubaki!" Hana waved and smiled. "Good morning!"

"Good morning." The Queen replied. "I came to say that I will be out for most of the day but I will be back by late afternoon because I am expecting a guest. The King Reagent is paying me a visit and I will need to be here when he arrives."

Hana and Gilbert had heard of the King from Vivi and the human asked, "What is he like, Tsubaki?"

"He is charismatic and handsome, but can be very impertinent." She replied.

"Then why was he chosen to be the King Reagent?" was Gilbert's question.

Tsubaki smiled and said, "You see, he is a favourite among the people since he is one who found the Holy Grail, but he can be very stubborn and even rash."

Gilbert nodded, not being foreign to the world of politics. He knew that the Queen of Avalon did not fully trust the Reagent. "So you need to keep an eye on him?"

Tsubaki's smile widened and she answered, "Where better to observe him than at the very top? All his movements and decisions are monitored. There is nothing that he does that I am not aware of."

One side of Gilbert's mouth curled slightly in amusement. "You are as wise as you are beautiful Tsubaki." _Why do I say such things to her still?_ He wondered to himself. _I already decided not to inveigle her... _

Tsubaki instantly blushed and looked at the ground. When Hana saw the witch's expression she quickly excused herself saying something about going to the bathroom. They were left alone and a minute passed in silence before Gilbert asked, "Why should I be banned?"

Tsubaki cleared her throat and looked back at him since she had now brought the blush under control. "Your movements are too elegant for a man. Too beautiful."

Gilbert almost smiled at the compliment. "Do you think so? Do you think that only women should be elegant?"

"I have given you my honest opinion." She then inquired, "Aren't men suppose to be rough and tough?" she joked with him.

But the amusement was lost on Gilbert. He thought that she was being serious. "Is that the type of man you find attractive?" He then said, "Then I may be a disappointment to you..."

"Gilbert," she said softly as she looked up into his eyes, "you could not disappoint me if you tried." _All you have to do is pass that test!_ she added in silence. She carried on, "Besides… I would much prefer a man like yourself."

He looked down at her and holding her gaze he said, "Well I am not so sure about that."

Tsubaki frowned and asked, "Is there something I should know, Gilbert?"

_You are too quick for your own good. _He said to her in his mind. "Tsubaki, I am not what you think."

"What is it that I think?" she was most curious.

"You think that I am a well mannered, proper and well trained demon bodyguard. Someone who is observant, keen and very serious and who would gladly lay down his life for his master. You also find me boring and routine and therefore a good target for teasing and so you make jokes at my expense."

Tsubaki shook her head but when she opened her mouth to tell him that that was not the reason she teased him he said, "Please allow me to finish." He then continued by saying, "I am all of these things, but I am also a highly intelligent, cold and calculating assassin and murderer. I perform tasks which my lord asks of me without question no matter how troublesome or gruesome. I feel nothing for my victims. No pity or remorse. I hardly feel anything anymore. I am monster and it will serve you well to remember that."

"Are you threatening me, Gilbert?" Tsubaki asked, not breaking their eye contact.

"I am not. I am simply informing you that I am not a nice man."

"I think that you do not give yourself enough credit." She stated.

"Please do not try and make me into something that I am not." He answered flatly. "I am exactly what I said I am. A beast!"

Tsubaki felt like someone was clutching her heart too tightly and she grew annoyed at his words. "What is the name of the woman who made you this way?"

Gilbert's eyes narrowed in anger. "Have you been talking to Davinia behind my back?"

"No, I have not." She sighed. "It was written all over your face."

_All_ _over_ _my_ _face?_ Gilbert's anger increased. "How can I trust your answer when you two schemed to get me here?"

It was Tsubaki's turn to get angry now. "I have never been anything but honest with you!" she insisted. "You have trust issues, don't you!"

"Yes, of course I can trust you," his voice was laced with sarcasm, "especially when you tease me by telling me to come to your bed chamber at night."

Tsubaki's temper flared. "Are you calling me a liar, Gilbert?" she demanded.

"If you are not then were you serious when you said that I, a male demon, should come to bedroom at night?"

Tsubaki's anger made her reckless and she replied, "Yes! I was serious! Is it so unthinkable that a woman would find you, the cold-hearted-lifeless-butler, Gilbert, attractive? But I knew that you would not come since you are too proper for that and because of that woman who broke your heart so badly, you are now spoiled for all other women. There is nothing that I can say or do to make you desire me. You rather live a life without warmth and wallow in self pity instead of taking what is offered to you. Your lack of backbone is most sickening!"

Tsubaki instantly regretted her words. When she saw Gilbert's jaw tighten in response, the vein in his forehead bulge out and his right temple begin to pulsate she knew that she had said too much for he was livid. As she was desperately searching for words to create an apology she heard him say in a tight voice, as if he was fighting to keep himself from exploding, "Whatever Davinia has said to you is not the entire story. You know absolutely nothing about me!" Gilbert stomped off furiously, leaving Tsubaki alone with her emotions in tatters. She knew that she had hurt him, the last thing she wanted to do. She stood there for several minutes and then fled from the room. Only when she exited her castle and took the avenue that would take her to Ayame's did she allow herself to break down.

She seemed not to notice the pouring rain as she quickly walked along. "You're such a fool, Gilbert!" she said out aloud but there was no one except the birds and the trees to hear her. "If you only knew how easy you were to read in that field of flowers! Now you will never be able to trust me!" She sobbed loudly as she said, "I am so sorry that I hurt you!"

Gilbert paced his room endlessly. What in the world just happened? How did his and Tsubaki's pleasant conversation turn into a war of words? _Yes, that's right_ he concluded as he played the discussion over in his head, _I put my foot in my mouth_. He seldom ever did that in all the centuries he lived. She even went so far as calling him a coward and that was so far from the truth! She was so unaware of how hard his life was. Nothing in his life was done without considering the consequences but then Tsubaki entered his life, uninvited, and when he was around her things so easily spun out of control. Gilbert was all about control. The reason he hated being here was because whenever he was a guest he would be a victim of his host's fancies and whims.

Gilbert liked having control over his entire person and over every minute of his day. He liked his days routine and predictable. The only excitement he looked forward to was carrying out a new mission. This was all the exhilaration he needed, but even on those occasions then he made plans and back up plans. Seldom did he find himself in a position where he needed to improvise. He neither needed nor enjoyed the topsy-turvy world of emotions.

Tsubkai had awoken something in him, something that he had kept in check for over 200 years. He had allowed her too much free reign. He knew now that she held a key he had thrown away a long time ago. He was certain that it was lost forever, but somehow the red haired witch had found it. She was poised to open the gates to his heart. Feelings were already seeping through. Every single time Tsubaki came close to him his heart jerked in his chest. When she touched him, even through his clothing, his skin burned for her and to his dismay he wanted her to touch him more. He had already envisioned kissing her and doing much, much more to her. Nevertheless, now he knew what he must do. He must get away from her and make it so that their feelings for each other were killed. It would be no different from carrying out one of King Lucifer's orders. So why did he feel sick inside? Why was it that he felt a little sad? Surely the cold-hearted-lifeless butler was not growing a heart now, was he? How preposterous! He was Gilbert and once again he would feel nothing. He would not allow things to get more out of hand. It was time to take back control. He would eradicate any affection Tsubaki had for him. In the end, she would thank him for if she knew the truth about him she would be more than relieved that she did not invest and waste any more time and feeling on him.

Tsubaki was still in tears when she knocked on Ayame's door. She did not even notice when the door swung open to reveal a tall slim woman. Her long black hair fell like a curtain on either side of her face as she bent to wrap her arms around Tsubaki's trembling shoulders. "Why are you so sad?" she said as she led the soaked woman into her living room in front of her joyously crackling fire. "Sit and tell me what has happened to you. The sky is black and it is raining furiously. What in the world could have made you so upset that a beautiful sunny morning has taken the turn for the worst?"

Tsubaki didn't say anything for a few minutes and the woman with large brown eyes waited patiently. The Water Goddess took off her travelling mantle and her dress that were soaked through and through. She whispered a spell and all the rain water from the clothing was repelled and she made it flow into the well bucket sitting near the back door. She then did the same to her camisole which she was still wearing and taking a seat which faced the one that the healer was sitting in she said, "I hate all men! They are atrocious and I want them all expelled from Avalon!"

Ayame laughed and it sounded like chiming bells. "I see. The Queen of Avalon has finally fallen in love and she has had her first lovers' quarrel!" She smiled at Tsubaki and said, "You are as cute as I remember!"

It was no surprise that Ayame hit the nail on the head. Tsubaki pressed her lips together and made an expression of a pouting child. "I say that to Hana all the time!"

"Ah yes, the girl you foresaw. How is she? And her demon lover?" Ayame was interested.

"They are both doing well. Her training and preparation are going as planned. I have come to ask if you would be willing to take her in hand."

"But why me, Tsubaki?" Ayame was slightly confused. "Surely she is not in need of instruction in the healing arts?"

Tsubaki nodded. "Yes she is and we both know how horrendous my healing skills are!"

Ayame laughed again. "Yes, for sure! So when do you need me to begin teaching her?"

"As soon as you can... When can you come?"

Ayame answered, "Well I have nothing pressing, so there is no reason I could not go to your castle tonight!" She paused and then asked, "And her weapon's master?" She saw Tsubaki's face tighten but she continued. "Who has been chosen for this? Anyone I know?"

Tsubaki replied, "A blasted demon from Hell. If I did not need him I would teach him a good lesson. I hate him!"

"Ohhhh... I seeeee! Is this the man who you have fallen for?" Ayame tried hard not to smile.

Tsubaki made a most unladylike "Hmph!" and then said, "Yes, his name is Gilbert and I have a story for you."

"Then tell me!" Ayame said and Tsubaki told her everything, every encounter she had with Gilbert, how she managed to get him to Avalon, her thoughts that he may be the one for her, and most importantly what occurred earlier today. The healer listened carefully and then pronounced her verdict on everything.

"Tsubaki! That was an underhanded way of getting him to come with you to Avalon. No wonder he does not trust you. I expected better from you. Furthermore, why tease him so? If he is as serious and reserved as you say then he will not be able to cope with a beautiful, intelligent and powerful sorceress flirting so heavily with him. If he was indeed heartbroken then you need to exercise more finesse in coaxing him over to you."

Tsubaki groaned out loud. "I know! I KNOW! I just lost my temper. I am usually not like this. But suddenly I can't get him out of my mind! I can't stop thinking about him! I can't stop wanting to be close to him. All day I dream about him being the lover I have seen in my visions! It is driving me **NUTS**! I can't stop my emotions from overflowing when I am close to him! Ayame," her voice was distressed, "I need to give him the test. I need to know if he is the one."

"Then what is stopping you?" Ayame asked.

"I am afraid that he will fail the test! This is the first time that I have felt this way and if after 500 years he is not the one then I will be crushed!"

"You know what you have to do, Tsubaki! You cannot risk making love to him without making sure that he is the one destined to be yours. You know what will happen if you two lose your heads and spend a night together and he is not your destined mate."

Tsubaki nodded wordlessly.

"So... what say you?" Ayame asked.

"I will give him the test, but there is something else." Ayame waited and so Tsubaki continued, "He always wants to be left alone from sunset till sunup. Something is wrong. I can feel it, but I don't know what. Will you help me discover what it is?"

"You think that he is ill in some way?" What else could a healer like Ayame help with?

"Yes, there is a reason why he does not wish to become involved with me. Besides being afraid to fall in love again, it is as if he thinks that he is not worthy of love. He calls himself a monster. It is like he can't even consider being in a relationship." In a morbid voice she concluded, "I fear that he might be seriously ill, perhaps even dying."

Ayame had to stop her friend from imagining all sorts of things. "Tsubaki! Don't be so melodramatic! Like you said your forte is not the healing arts. So I will meet with him this afternoon and I will try to read his internal systems."

"Thank you, dearest!" Tsubaki smiled for the first time since Gilbert left her. "Oh no!"

"What is it?"

"Galahad is coming for a visit this evening. My staff and handmaidens must be outdoing themselves and I am here crying about some man!"

Ayame laughed. "Welcome to the world of love!"

Ayame packed quickly and together with Tsubaki they returned to the Queen's lair. She wanted to meet Hana and Gilbert immediately, but Tsubaki was not ready to face the demon just yet. She would have to apologize, but like Ayame said she had to exercise more finesse around him. True she had behaved more like a bulldozer. Teasing him mercilessly, tricking him into doing what she wanted and if that was not bad enough she whisked him away to her domain where she reigned supreme and made accusations about him being hurt by a woman in his past and then calling him a lifeless coward. How was she going to fix that? She had no idea.

"It will be alright, Tsubaki!" Ayame encouraged her as they made their way to the sitting room reserved for guests. "Fix that face! You look miserable! And do something about your eyes! They look swollen and puffy."

"What do you want me to do? I will just linger near the door and make a quick escape. No one will notice my eyes!" Tsubaki insisted.

Ayame said nothing more and soon they were entering the guest living room. Sitting there were Vivi, Velten and Eleanor. "I would like you to meet my friend, Ayame." She said to them and she introduced them each in turn. Of course Velten had to talk about how beautiful Ayame was and earn a distasteful glare from his fiancée. At least she did not break anything, but only out of respect for her hostess. Vivi wondered why only his mansion suffered from Eleanor's outbursts.

"Where is Hana?" Tsubaki finally asked.

"Training with Gilbert." Eleanor said.

Tsubaki forcibly smiled at them and then said, "Thanks. I will introduce Ayame to them now."

"At least Gilbert is not alone." She whispered to Ayame as they walked to the training room. "It will be less awkward."

When they entered then found Hana alone practising knife throwing. Tsubaki's heart felt heavy. _Where is Gilbert?_ How was she going to introduce him to Ayame? Will she have to do the introduction without anyone else? I _can't face him like that! I need more people in the room!_ When Hana came over to them Tsubaki was so lost in her wretched thoughts that she did not hear when Hana said, "Tsubaki, you're back!"

Tsubaki was unable to do introductions and so Ayame stepped up and said, "Hello there. My name is Ayame."

"Hello! My name is Hana. Pleased to meet you. Are you the healer Tsubaki told me about?" the girl smiled warmly.

"Yes I am she and it is a pleasure to meet you. So how is the knife throwing going?"

"Oh, Hana..." Tsubaki finally returned to the world at hand and said, "I am sorry! My mind was somewhere else."

"That's okay!" She smiled at her friend and then took a good look at her. She saw that her eyes were red and puffy. "Tsubaki! Have you been crying?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I want you to get to know Ayame and I want you to practice!"

"But Tsubaki..."

"I have to go now." Tsubaki blurted out. She turned around and came face to face with Gilbert who had silently entered the room. She gasped when she saw him. _Did he hear what Hana said?_ She wondered. _I need to leave. I can't face him like this._ She quickly moved away from the three other occupants of the room and went to her private quarters. She needed to get ready for the arrival of the King Reagent. No matter how she felt inside she was Queen of Avalon and she had duties to perform. Pushing Gilbert out of her mind she concentrated on work. She had to make sure her staff was getting everything in order. She had to look over the menu and some of the mermaids would want to perform in her and the Reagent's honour tonight. So many things to do...

She removed her outdoor clothing and sat down at her vanity in her mini petticoat. Looking into the mirror she applied some makeup to hide her swollen lids and the puffiness under her eyes. She had just put on the finishing touches and got up when someone knocked on her door. Thinking that it must be a handmaiden she gave the order to enter. To her surprise there stood Gilbert. For more than a minute she was too shocked to say anything or even move. She stood there staring at him as his eyes raked over her half naked body.

Her mini petticoat was just as its name implied. Mini. It barely covered her breasts so that much of her cleavage was left visible. It fitted her body snugly so that her waist and hips were clearly outlined and it ended just below her hips so that her long, shapely legs were left bare. When she was knocked out of her shock she cried out, "Gilbert!" and then ran over to her bed and unceremoniously wrapped a blanket around herself.

He said nothing in response but thought to himself, _So this is what she would have done if I came to her room. Just as I thought... I am no more to her than a laughing stock. _

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He had come to her room in the attempt to work something out between them... To maybe even start over since she said that she was attracted to him. He hated the idea of her crying because of what had transpired between them and her tears possibly meant that her words were true. However, her response to him just now dashed all hopes he had for them. He was stupid to think that there was a woman who was genuinely interested in him and that there was something he could do to smooth things over. So he would go with the earlier plan. Kill any affection she had for him. "Tsubaki, I wish to return to the Demon World. Show me the way." His voice was not requesting, it was demanding.

"What about Hana and her training?"

"Find someone else. I must leave." His voice was as cold as ice.

"Just because we had an argument does not mean that you should punish Hana." She stated, head held high.

"I am not punishing anyone. I do not trust my hostess and so I can no longer stay here."

Tsubaki swallowed hard. She had played with fire and she got burnt. There was no way to win his trust now. She gave up. She realized then that Gilbert was not the man she was looking for. If he was then he would have been more affectionate, more interested. He would have been falling for her. They should have fitted together like two halves casted together in the same mould. If he was the one then it would not be so difficult to win his love. She felt greatly saddened and disappointed, but like Eleanor said that meant that she had something to look forward to. "I understand, but I need your help."

"You can rest assured that you do not need my help, Queen of Avalon." His voice was dark and dangerous.

His words gave her a terrible feeling of foreboding. "Why do you say that?"

"I can no longer put up with this charade."

"Charade? I never spoke to Davinia about you!" she said sternly. "I apologize for tricking you into coming here but I was desperate."

"That is not what I am talking about." Gilbert's voice held the edge of a knife.

"What are you talking about, then?" Tsubaki bit her tongue. She regretted asking because she was afraid to find out the answer.

"The only reason I agreed to come here was to find out the details of the prophecy of Armageddon which you omitted, but because of what has happened I have aborted this mission."

"M-mission?" she stammered. What was he talking about? This was his mission? Had he already spoken to Lucifer even though she asked him not to?

"Yes... Don't you think that it was strange that I gave you my word that I would not tell the Demon King what I found out? Were you really stupid enough to think that I would not report to him? Are you such an idiot that you cannot see that I am his humble servant?" Gilbert was relentless.

She flinched at the insults. "W-what... What are you t-trying to say?" Tsubaki was having trouble facing the fact that Gilbert was talking to her in this way.

He approached her then and it took all her resolve not to back away from him. She looked back at him as his eyes bored into hers. Taking her chin between his thumb and index fingers he continued, "My plan was to inveigle you by using your feelings of attraction for me against you. Once I had learned all that I could from you, I would have betrayed your trust and you would have been put to death if need be."

Tsubaki tore her face away from his hand. "What the hell are you talking about? Why... why are you saying these things to me? Why are you being so cruel? This isn't true!"

He leered at her and said, "I told you, didn't I? I am not a nice man and it would serve you well to remember that!"

"There is no need for you to be like this!" her voice was tight. She felt like she could not breathe. "I am sorry that I called you a coward. I never meant to hurt you." she was on the brink of tears.

He smiled wickedly and said, "As if you could hurt my feelings. You think too highly of yourself, Tsubaki. Now release me from this captivity."

"Captivity?" She was even more confused. "Did I not say that I would give you anything you wanted as long as it was in my power?"

"And did I not tell you that I do not trust my hostess!" he replied to her.

Tsubaki had enough of his hurtful words. She could take no more. Her heart which felt like it stopped beating as he spoke to her suddenly worked again, but it hurt so much that she almost fainted from the pain of it all. She should have destroyed him where he stood, but she lacked the strength to even stand. When she collapsed at his feet she heard his footsteps move away. She heard the door open and then a click as it closed. She just sat there, unable to even cry, her heart utterly broken.

**That is all folks! Hope you liked and I look forward to your reviews! I have written another chapter (25), but I won't put it up right away unless you guys really want me to.  
**


	25. Punishment

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.

**OKAY **so I decided to put it up.

**Chapter 25: Punishment**

Gilbert never felt so wretched in his life! When he saw the expression in Tsubaki's eyes, as he told her those malicious things, he thought that whatever little bit of a soul he had left died with the light in her eyes. That light which always attracted his eyes to hers. She is always so full of life. Always smiling and loving. _What have I done?_ He clutched his chest as his heart began to ache so very badly. He smiled ruefully. It seemed that Lucifer's butler had grown a heart after all. What would the Demon World say of that? He tried to clamp down on his emotions, telling himself that this needed to be done. This was best for everyone involved. Tsubaki would recover. After all, if she did have feelings for him it was nothing more than a crush, right? She would find someone else, someone who was not cursed to be a monster...

With great haste he went to his room. He was not in the mood to see anyone or to do anything. He wanted to be left in solitude until he was given passage back to Earth. Since there was no way to open a portal from Avalon to the Demon World he had to get back to Earth. He entered his room and pulled all the draperies shut. He could not even stand the morning light. He wanted his room to be as dark and as black as he now felt.

Ayame was looking for Tsubaki. She had knocked on the door to the Queen's bedroom but there was no answer. She went to the throne room but there was no one. She asked every handmaiden she crossed paths with, but no one had seen the Queen. She wondered where Tsubaki was. Gilbert had disappeared a few minutes after she met him. Ayame had purposefully put her hand out for the demon to take it. When his hand touched hers she immediately began to read his body patterns. An odious feeling filled her being, something dark and vile. She had felt something similar before, and she needed to tell Tsubaki about it.

She had searched everywhere and then a thought struck her. Maybe Gilbert had gone to see Tsubaki. She decided to go to his room and see if the witch was there. She knocked on Gilbert's door, but there was no reply. She knocked again and then said, "Gilbert-dono, is Tsubaki-sama there? I must speak to her."

For a few seconds there was no response and then she heard someone shift inside. The door opened and Gilbert stood in the doorway. He looked grim like something bad happened. "Tsubaki is not here. She is in her bedroom."

Ayame wanted to ask him about his expression, but decided not to. So she thanked him for the information and went back to Tsubaki's room. She knocked, but there was no answer. _What is going on here? _She asked herself. She knocked again but when there was still no answer she called out for Tsubaki. Again she was met with silence. She then thought about watching outside to see what the weather was like. Going to the end of the corridor she drew the diaphanous drapery and peered outside. The sky was black and a great storm was brewing. Already lightning was flashing and thunder could he heard in the distance. "This is not good." She whispered to herself. Tsubaki was so powerful that whenever her emotions were strong she affected the weather. When she was happy, days were filled with bright sunshine and light spring showers but when she was angry or sad, the weather turned tempestuous and terrible. Recalling Gilbert's expression Ayame knew then that something had happened between him and Tsubaki.

Returning to the Queen's private room she opened the door and entered. There sitting in a corner with her head bent into her knees was Tsubaki weeping softly. Bending down Ayame touched her head and gently asked, "What has that demon done to you this time?"

It took Tsubaki several minutes before she could answer but when she did she told Ayame everything that Gilbert said to her. Ayame could not believe it. It was an imposter. Gilbert was not capable of doing this... Not to Tsubaki... No one was that wicked, right? There must have been a reason. No matter how much Tsubaki had teased him she did not deserve this.

"Tsubaki there must be a reason for this turn in behaviour." Ayame offered.

"Yes, there is a reason. He despises me." Tsubaki said in between sobs.

"Listen to me carefully. There is something wrong with him."

"Yes, there is!" Tsubaki interrupted. "He is a beast like he said!" she began to cry again.

"Tsubaki, hush for a moment and listen to me." Ayame's voice was gentle but adamant. "When I touched his hand I was filled with a great darkness. I felt like I was being poisoned. Tsubaki... I think that he has been cursed."

Tsubaki sniffed loudly and then asked, "Cursed?"

"Yes, cursed. Someone has put some sort of curse on him. It may be the reason he must spend his nights alone. Something lies within his body. He is afflicted, diseased with something. I am not sure what, but he is not healthy, Tsubaki. On the outside he looks fine but I suspect that on the inside some disease is eating him alive."

"What... Can this be cured? Can the curse be reversed?" Tsubaki momentarily forgot her broken feelings in her concern for Gilbert.

"I am not even sure what sort of curse it is. We will have to find out."

"But how can we? I don't know what happens at night."

"Then find out!" Ayame exclaimed. "Only then would there be any hope of treating it."

"Do you think this is why he was so cruel to me? Do you think that he does not want me to be interested in him?" The Queen asked. Her voice was filled with hope.

Ayame did not want Tsubaki to be too optimistic too early. She was in love with Gilbert, but if he was the beast he made himself out to be then the earlier Tsubaki faced that, the better. "That I am not sure of. It is a possibility, but Tsubaki I just don 't know."

"Then why tell me anything at all? If he had a mission and it failed, why tell me about it? It is as if he wants me to hate him!"

Ayame thought on this for a minute and then said, "Yes, I agree with you. You may be right. He may want to spear you more heartache later. It is better to destroy your fondness for him early on before your feelings for him deepen. Tsubaki, maybe he is dying and does not want any one mourning for him." Then she added, "Tsubaki you have to find out. All this conjecture is not getting us anywhere and it may be producing false hope."

Tsubaki nodded. "But how...?"

"I have a plan. But first you get dressed and then listen to what I have thought of..." Ayame said.

Vivi had a clear view to the outside from his room and when he realized that a storm was approaching he decided to go to Hana's room. Sure enough there she was, curled up in a ball, in the bed with the covers over her head. "Why didn't you come to my room?" he asked her as he sat down next to the big lump on the bed.

Uncovering her head she quickly wrapped her arms around him and said, "I wanted to stay by myself. I am growing up in other ways so I thought that I should wait out the storm alone."

"But you are shivering so badly." He said and he caressed her shoulders before hugging her back.

"Yes, I am still afraid. I guess I am still a silly little girl." She said in a dejected voice.

He lifted her chin and brought his lips down to meet hers, giving her a demanding kiss that left her breathless. Her fear forgotten, she clung to him and kissed him back ardently.

When he parted their lips he said, "My little flower, if you are not afraid of storms I won't have an excuse to come to your room and comfort you with my hands and lips." He smiled naughtily at her and her heart jerked in her chest.

"But you don't need an excuse to touch me and kiss me, Vivi. Did I not say that I am yours and no one else's?"

His smiled broadened and he asked, "Yes, you did. So then I can do whatever I wish to you?"

Hana swallowed nervously, but there was no way she would even reject him so she said, "Yes, anything you want. I am yours!"

"Then shall I give myself to you as well?" Vivi asked her.

"Vivi... do you mean that?" she was disbelieving.

"Yes...I am yours and yours alone." He kissed her again and Hana's heart soared. He had said that he was in love with her before, but this was a commitment. When he kissed her until her lips were swollen he raised his head and pulling back the bed linens he climbed into bed with her, pulled her close to him and placed his chin on the top of her head. He would hold her until the storm was over.

Eleanor watched out her window. She loved to see the dark clouds and the lightning shows storms created. To her storms were a display of the power and strength of nature and she enjoyed it immensely. She wondered what Velten was doing. She would have liked to watch the storm with him. She got up and went to his quarters, but there was no reply when she knocked on his door. She would have asked Hana or Vivi for his whereabouts, but she knew that the two of them would be together during this weather. So she decided to find Velten on her own. But there were so many rooms... _I will simply wait for him in his room_, she said to herself.

Opening the door a little she peered inside. There was no one in the outer room. She entered and took a seat on one of the chairs. After a few minutes she heard something fall within the bedroom and then a woman's giggle and then a high pitched, "Please Velten-sama... we shouldn't!" Eleanor immediately grew irate. So he was at it again!

Without preamble she rushed over to the bedroom door and pulled it open. She was greeted with a maid whose back was turned to her. Around the maid's slim waist was a male's arm clad in a white shirt with ruffled sleeves and his other hand had hiked up the woman's dress since it was high up on her thigh. The man's face was obscured since it was buried in the woman's bosom, but Eleanor knew full well who it was. She began to tremble in fury. Anywhere Velten went it was the same thing...

Velten raised his head to see his fuming fiancée and said, "Eleanor it's not what you think..."

She was speechless with rage. When the maid looked around to the demoness and said with a smile, "Velten-sama, it is your fiancée..." Eleanor could not have been more embarrassed. She looked at the maid who was a tall, beautiful blonde specimen with clear blue eyes and she felt so sick that she thought she was going to vomit. Velten always liked the fair haired girls. For the umpteenth time since she was a little girl she felt rejected and so very ugly. Why in the world was she born with black hair and dark brown eyes? If she was born with blonde hair and blue or green eyes, maybe Velten would have noticed her. What she would not have given to look more like the woman Velten now held.

Summoning her mallet, she silently rested it on her right shoulder. She looked at the maid and said with much rancour, "If you don't want to die here, I suggest that you leave." Eleanor watched as the girl's eyes widened in shock and her face paled to death white before she hurriedly exited the room.

"Eleanor try to understand," Velten began, "I was just..."

"Just what, Velten?" She demanded. "You know I was more embarrassed than hurt this time. To think that you would shame me like this in Tsubaki's home. Is it not enough that the whole of the Demon World laughs at me? You must make me a fool in Avalon as well?"

"Eleanor..."

"No! I don't want to hear it! The engagement is off." She stated it so easily that even she was surprised when the words left her lips. She put away her mallet and then continued. "You are free to do as you wish. You can have as many girls as you want without any trouble from me."

"Eleanor, I am sorry. I..."

But Eleanor had made up her mind. "Why do you apologize? Is this not what you wanted? Rejoice! Be happy! You no longer have a fiancée and you no longer have to think about me." Tears began to fall from her eyes but despite them she smiled and said, "After all these years of being engaged to an ugly girl like me, releasing you is the least I could do."

"Please, Eleanor." Velten felt absolutely vile. "You are not ugly. I am the one to blame... I..."

But she had already walked away. She should have run away from the room, but instead she calmly walked out. She was too ashamed to let anyone see her tear filled eyes and so she hung her head low. She knew she could not see Hana, so she went to Tsubaki's room. She knocked and when Tsubaki said come in she took just 2 steps inside. With her head still turned to the ground she said in a calm voice, "Tsubaki I need to return home."

"Eleanor?" Tsubaki was concerned. "What is it? What has happened?"

Without looking up she repeated. "I just need to return home." This time however, her crushed feelings invaded her voice. She could hold it back no longer and she began sobbing uncontrollably. Quickly Tsubaki went over to her and hugged her to her side and led her to a sofa at the far end of the room.

"What is it?" Tsubaki demanded. "Has Velten done something?"

"I caught him with a maid. He was making love to her!" Eleanor chocked out.

Tsubaki went livid. "It is forbidden! No maid can have anything to do with males as long as they are in my service."

"I don't think it was her fault." Eleanor began. "She told him not to..."

"Was he forcing her?" The Queen wanted to know.

Eleanor shook her head. "Actually she looked like she was enjoying it. She just told him that they shouldn't be doing it."

Tsubaki had vowed to teach Velten a lesson the next time he hurt Eleanor and after a day filled with heartache from Gilbert she saw red. Fuming, she wasted no time in going for the door. Her lips were crushed together and her frown was deep above flashing eyes. Outside thunder howled like a beast in pain. "Eleanor, come with me. I will show you how I deal with insolence!"

Ayame knew what was coming and hurrying to Tsubaki's side she tugged on her sleeve. "Tsubaki, please! Slow down and think about this!"

"They are going to pay the price. No one makes a fool out of the Queen of Avalon or any of her friends!"

"This is not the time for this. You have more important things to think about. What about the King Reagent and Gilbert?"

"They can both go to Hell for a night. This must be dealt with!" Tsubaki could not be reasoned with and so Ayame just followed along in the hope that things were not blown out of proportion. Tsubaki went straight to her throne room followed closely by Ayame and Eleanor. She instructed both Eleanor and Ayame to stand a little to the left of her throne. To the right of her there was a plush purple curtain. To one side of the curtain was a thick black rope. She tugged it hard and the curtain was drawn to reveal a large gong next to which was a long, slim mallet was held upright by a silver holding clip.

Taking the mallet in her right hand, Tsubaki pulled back her hand and struck the gong hard. A loud booming crash was produced that had Eleanor's sensitive ears ringing. When all echoes died she then pulled her hand back and struck the gong a second time. Handmaidens were already started to gather and by the time she struck it a third time all maids were accounted for.

"Where are my guests?" she asked the assembly.

The head maid answered, "They are in their rooms, your Majesty."

The Queen's eyes narrowed. "What is to be done when this gong is rung thrice, Malinda?" she addressed the principal maid who had just replied to her.

Malinda saw how angry her Mistress was and so bowing low she answered, "When the gong is rung thrice all must gather in the throne room."

"Have all been gathered?" Tsubaki demanded angrily.

"No, my Lady. I will send for them now." Malinda said hastily.

"It is alright, I will give the command." The sorceress was furious and outside the room thunder boomed, the wind was howling and large raindrops crashed into the windows and unto the roof. Together they made it difficult to think for the sound was so loud. Nevertheless, Tsubaki's voice reached above all the noise and called on the four handmaidens she had assigned to care for her absent guests. "Amanda, Lily, Cecila and Joanna go to the guests you have been appointed to and bring them here. I do not care if you have to scour the entire castle to find them. When you return I will deal with each of you appropriately. Expect to be punished for inefficiency and disobeying my will."

"Yes, my Queen." They replied in unison before they hurriedly went to find their respective guests.

Eleanor looked over at Tsubaki. She had never heard the woman use such a tone before and she was frightened. She thought that she had gotten the maid in trouble and she did not want that. She was about to approached the witch and whisper and apology when Ayame blocked her way and shook her head to tell her not to go near Tsubaki now. Eleanor nodded and resumed her place besides Ayame.

It took only a few minutes for Vivi, Hana and Gilbert to make an appearance, but Velten took several more. This made Tsubaki all the madder with each passing second as she waited for him to enter. She had taken her seat and was drumming her fingers impatiently for his arrival. When he finally arrived, Tsubaki got up and addressed her guests and staff.

"As we all know, the King Reagent is supposed to come here tonight. I have taken you all from your duties because a problem has come to my attention. It seems that there has been a breach in conduct here between one of my guests and one of my handmaidens."

Velten felt his ruffle cravat constrict around his throat. He knew Tsubaki was talking about him and that girl… He could not even remember her name.

The Queen continued, "I am going to allow the guilty parties the opportunity to confess to the offence in the hope that their punishment would be decreased."

"My Lady, Queen Tsubaki!" A beautiful blonde handmaiden flung herself before Tsubaki's feet and began to cry loudly, "I am so very sorry! But one of your guests forced me to undress for him. He grabbed me and touched me inappropriately. His strength was enormous and I could not stop him. But luckily his fiancée came in and she stopped him!" In response to her words a great murmur passed through the crowd and all eyes turned to Velten.

"**SILENCE**!" Tsubaki shouted furiously. "Who gave you the permission to speak and how dare any of you take your eyes away from your Queen?" she screamed at the crowd. All eyes were immediately fixed on her and all talking ceased. Vivi smiled. He was liking Tsubaki more and more every day. Now here is a Queen!

Velten could not believe any of this. First the lies from the handmaiden and then Tsubaki's angry outbursts... He was about to protest but after Tsubaki's words he thought that he should not. Eleanor too was about to say something when Ayame shushed her and said "Just watch."

"Katherine, please point out this guest to me."

Katherine stood up and pointing at Velten said, "My Queen it was the blonde one. I think his name is Velten."

"Velten, what say you to these accusations?" Tsubaki addressed him.

"It is a lie. She offered herself to me. I am unable to turn a lady down when she is so earnest." He said keeping his eyes on Tsubaki. He could not bring himself to look at Eleanor. Inside Eleanor's heart broke a little more at the words.

Tsubaki asked "Have you no pride, Velten? Would you take a common harlot if she offered herself to you?"

Vivi smiled. _What_ _an idiot! Velten had not changed one bit._ Hana was looking on with her mouth open and Gilbert observed with interest.

"No! My Lady!" Katherine called out. "He is lying. He forced himself on me!"

None of the demons believed that Velten would force himself on any woman. Did he even need to? He was by the far most popular male in the Demon World. Hana could not believe what was going on. Velten would never try to rape anyone.

Tsubaki proceeded. "Eleanor." She called. "Please come forward and tell me what you saw." Eleanor swallowed nervously but did as her friend asked of her. When the sorceress asked, "Was Katherine struggling against Velten? Did she look like she was being forced?"

Eleanor answered, "No, your Majesty. She seemed to be enjoying it!"

"My Lady!" Katherine protested, "That is..."

Tsubaki turned to her then and roared, "Who gave you permission to speak? I am addressing Eleanor now. Silence until I address you again. Or do you forget your place."

"How dare you speak to me in this way?" Katherine demanded of the Queen. Turning to Eleanor she spitted out vehemently, "You are lying to protect your fiancé. Why do you even bother? He does not love you!"

Those cruel words almost made Eleanor cry in front of the whole assembly. When Tsubaki saw the demoness' expression she became so enraged that her jaw began to twitch and she had trouble stringing two words together. So instead she acted. Towards the back of the throne room was a large pool of water. Elegantly Tsubaki raised her hands and made fluid, unbroken motions in the air like she was drawing a loop with each hand. Instantly, columns of water rose from the pool and created two rope-like tubes of water. They then wrapped themselves around each of Katherine's hands. With a swift arcing motion of her right hand, Tsubaki caused Katherine to be slammed unto the right wall about 2 meters above the ground.

When she recovered from the impact Katherine struggled against the water that bounded her, but it was no use. They looked like water, but felt like steel. "How dare you? Do you forget who I am?" she asked the Queen.

"I am the daughter of the King Reagent, you can't treat me like this!" Katherine screamed.

Tsubaki had enough of the brat and so summoning a little more water she covered the woman's mouth so that she could no longer speak. She then said, "I trust that you remember who appointed your father to be King Reagent. I am Nimue, the sole ruler of all of Avalon. Pray that I do not take your life, Katherine." She threatened.

Taking a deep breath she turned back to the crowd and to pronounce sentence. "Misconduct with a male is heavily frowned upon. My handmaids are maidens when they come to me and they are maidens when they leave. I will not tolerate any deviation from this rule. Like all of you your Queen, although she has lived for many hundreds of years, is also a virgin and will remain so until she is wedded."

Gilbert's pointed ears twitched at that announcement. So Tsubaki was teasing him honestly? She was really interested in him? A virgin would not have been so forward with her teasing if she was not really interested... He had made a grave mistake and he felt so low that he wished he could just sink into the ground and disappear. He had hurt her so badly and he was wrong. He was so very wrong. No wonder she wrapped herself in a blanket when he saw her half naked...

"Maidenhood is to be cherished and should only be given to a man who can love you for the rest of your life. I know that being in my service is difficult, but the humility and restraint that you learn when you are here for 12 months or more will serve you until the day you die. Today grave injustices occurred. Not only did Katherine disobey my law which has been in existence for more than 10 centuries, she has also betrayed a fellow woman. The man she offered herself too, as you all know, has a fiancée. What sort of woman tries to tarnish the promise of marriage? Her sentence is as follows: 200 lashes and 365 days of labour at the state's cattle farm. She will perform all the duties of a newly arrived cowhand which are the hardest and dirtiest jobs. For speaking out of turn to her Queen she is to be banished from this castle and only to return when I see fit.

Taking a deep breath she continued, "For Velten, a man who spits on the institution of marriage, shames his fiancée and thinks absolutely nothing of sex or a woman's honour, will receive 500 lashes and he will be incarcerated in this castle's dungeon until I say otherwise."

Velten said nothing and he did not even try to talk his way out. He deserved it. 500 lashes from a human's hands was nothing to him. He would not even feel it. As for being jailed. Yes, for all the pain he caused Eleanor, he deserved much more than that.

Tsubaki commanded, "Patricia and Victoria, please escort Velten to the dungeon. His lashes will be administered in the morning two days from today." The two maids flanked Velten and he went with them without protest.

"Yolanda and Regina, please put Katherine under house arrest in the maid's sleeping area until the morning two days from now when she too will receive her lashes and then escorted to the cattle ranch. All other maids will relocate to the secondary sleeping hall until she leaves. No one is permitted to speak to her. Regina and Yolanda, please, lock her in and take first watch. You can choose 2 other maids to take over for you for the second shift. Bind her hands with the blood shackles so that she cannot use any magic. Her father will be informed of her lack of decorum and punishment when he arrives.

"For not doing your job effectively, Amanda, Lily, Cecilia and Joanna, your work load will be doubled for two weeks." She then concluded with an odious voice, "If anyone fails in their duties tonight, or disobeys any of my instructions they will be severely punished. Am I understood?"

"Yes, your Majesty!" all the maids said simultaneously.

"Dismissed!"

When the staff emptied from the room, Tsubaki slumped heavily into her chair. She was so exhausted! How would she deal with the King Reagent's arrival in this state? Hopefully the weather would deter him.

Hana approached her and said, "Tsubaki... wow! I have never seen you like that!" Hana said.

"Well done!" Vivi congratulated. "You really are a Queen!" he smiled.

"I am so very sorry you had to go through all that trouble, Tsubaki!" Eleanor said. "I did not mean to create a problem for you..."

"It was no problem, Eleanor. This is something that I must do to keep things in order."

Gilbert listened to them, but watched only Tsubaki. He had to admit that her display of power was intriguing and it made her seem infinitely more desirable. He cursed under his breath. What was he doing? He had no business lusting after her after wounding her so badly. He needed to apologize to her if it was the last thing he did before leaving here. He knew that when she guided him back to Earth it would be the last time he saw her and he had made up his mind to tell her how sorry he was then. He knew she may not even listen, but he had to do it. Then she would be free to pursue someone who was truly worthy of her. She should not be the wife of a demon butler, should she? He smiled to himself. He did not deserve such a woman. Not one bit! She was a Queen, the Queen of Avalon and she deserved a King, a real King.

When a messenger came in to say that the King Reagent could not make it because of the weather, Tsubaki literally hopped for joy! She instructed the messenger to inform Malinda to halt all preparations since the Reagent was not coming after all. Gilbert smiled sadly when he saw her jump with a big stupid smile on her face. _Yes, she would recover._ He said to himself as he silently slipped away from the room back into his quarters. The sun would be setting soon. He needed to be in solitude.


	26. A Test and A Curse

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.

**Chapter 26: A Test and A Curse**

With the Reagent not coming and Eleanor and Velten separated Tsubaki felt like she could finally concentrate on Gilbert. She did not want to wait for tomorrow. It was near sundown and she had already made up her mind that something had to be done about Gilbert. She needed to put her mind to rest regarding him. With Ayame's help she had come to a decision. Gilbert's malicious words were hurtful but they raised more questions than they answered and Tsubaki was determined to leave nothing undiscovered.

After a few minutes after she realized that Gilbert had disappeared, she asked her remaining guests to retire to their rooms until dinner. She signalled to Ayame and although they went in different directions, they both set out to work. If Gilbert wanted to leave then that was exactly what he was going to get. She checked her watch. She had exactly 1 hour 34 minutes before sundown here in Avalon. She had to act now.

Dressed in a water resistant travelling habit, Ayame knocked rapidly on Gilbert's door. When he gave the command to enter she walked in proudly and said, "It is time. I trust that you are ready to leave? Come I will take you to the Gateway."

Gilbert knew that it was less than 2 hours before the sunset and he asked, "You wish to escort me in such inclement weather?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You are the one who wishes not to remain here. I thought you would jump at the chance to leave. I am offering you safe passage back to the Demon World on the Queen's order. Do you not want it?"

Going over to the corner of the room where his katana and sheath were leaning, Gilbert picked up his sword and attaching it to his belt, he said, "Shall we depart?" The truth was he did not really want to leave without seeing Tsubaki. He needed to apologize to her, but maybe it was better this way. She did not want to see him and that was why she sent Ayame in her place. Could be even blame her?

"Do you not need some sort of protection against the rain?" Ayame asked. She held out a water proof mantle to him on which a cresting wave was imprinted. "Tsubaki wanted me to give this to you."

Gilbert had learned that the cresting wave was Tsubaki's personal insignia. Only she could use it or grant others permission to utilize it. At that moment, Gilbert wished that he could turn back time. No matter how hurt she was, she was still thinking about of his well-being. His heart lurched in his chest. He did not trust his voice and so he silently took it and slipped it on.

"Alright." Ayame said quickly. "Let's go!"

He followed her and they made their way towards the front entrance of the castle. Releasing a lever the door opened heavily and as soon as an opening was cracked a chilling wind entered the castle and blew hard against them. They entered into an evening darkened by black clouds which pelted rain against their bodies. The screaming wind caused trees to creak and it picked their leaves throwing them every which way. They carefully crossed the bridge which ran over the now roaring river into the field of flowers. Ayame plodded along in the mud and grass. Soon... soon Tsubaki would have her answers. "Let us take a short cut through here." She pointed towards the east.

They had been travelling for about 10 minutes and had reached a wooded area which afforded some shelter from the squall. Ayame knew that this was the place and so kept a close eye on Gilbert by allowing him to walk in front of her saying that they simply needed to just follow the path they were on for about half an hour. According to her after that there would reach the Gateway which she would open for him. Suddenly Gilbert stopped and began looking around ahead of him. "Ayame-sama. What is that sound?"

But his voice addressed an empty wood as she was nowhere in sight. _Where did she go? Am I lost...? _He looked down and saw the path below him... Then he heard it again. It was the sound of a sweet and beautiful melody. It sounded like bells chiming and violins crying out magnificently. It led him in the direction away from the pathway. He should have been trying to escape back to Earth, but the exceptionally beautiful song beckoned him deeper into the woods.

He walked among the trees for quite a few minutes and then came upon a clearing. The rain had let up a bit and the wind had died down. There… between the trees he could see the surface of a lake shimmering slightly in the limited light. He saw it clearly, thanks to his nocturnal vision, and on a large flat rock on the opposite side of the lake sat a mermaid. Her back was arched slightly, her head thrown back and lips were moving and from her mouth that most precious and lovely song was emanating. Her back was turned slightly to him and she looked like she was serenading the sky. Her tail was the colour of antique gold and was uncommonly long as was its terminal fin. The fin was iridescent and looked like diaphanous mother of pearl. Around her slim waist was a set of small blue-green fins arranged like a belt.

Gilbert stepped closer silently, not wanting to disturb this creature who could create such music by opening her lips. She seemed to effortlessly produce the most moving sounds. His heart felt full and warm and he was mesmerized by the sight in front of him. He continued to observe her. His eyes left her slim waist and travelled up a firm, flat abdomen and to a well-shaped medium sized breast which was left bare. Her other breast was obscured under a thick layer of strikingly red hair. He swallowed a lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. The hair at the back of his neck stood on end when he saw the mermaid's tresses. It fell in heavy curly crimson locks and he had seen hair like that only once before. Her face was obscured from view but when she turned to watch him he was not too surprised to see Tsubaki's eyes staring back into his.

She flicked her head and threw back her hair to reveal her entire body to him as she turned to face him squarely. Gilbert would have felt guilty looking at a naked female, but found that he could not tear his eyes away. There was no shame in looking at something as perfect and beautiful as the vision Tsubaki presented. He watched transfixed to his spot as she smiled invitingly at him and then dived from the rock into the lake. She surfaced after a minute and swam towards the edge where he stood. She stood up in the lake, assuming her human form wearing nothing but the ring of fins around her waist that created a mini skirt.

All this time, Gilbert simply stared at her. Unable to speak as he was faced with the woman he had hurt so terribly this morning. Right now, in his mind, she was the most beautiful creature in all of the universe and as she stood there looking at him shame filled every fibre of his being. He looked away from her eyes. He was a pitiful creature and he did not deserve such a privilege as looking upon her beautiful face. He badly wanted to apologize to her and he took the chance now.

"I am so very sorry, Tsubaki-sama." His voice was earnest and she listened. "The words which would convey to you just how much I despise myself for hurting you have not yet been created. I know that you cannot forgive me, but I did not mean anything I said to you this morning. Initially I had thought of betraying your trust and breaking my word, but after I danced with you, on that very day, I knew that I would not reveal anything to my lord until you were ready for me to. I never, never intended to do you bodily harm in anyway and I am so sorry that I hurt your feelings. But surely you could not be in love with me so I thought that it was best that I curtailed any affection you had for me so you could move on." He ceased talking but still refused to look at her.

"Gilbert..." She said, but still he could not look at her. "Why do you want me to move on?"

He turned away from her completely then. With his back to her he said, "I am no good for you, Tsubaki!"

"Why not?" she wanted to know.

"You ask me that after all the cruel things I said to you?" he said as his shoulders slumped.

"Why did you find it necessary to go so far, Gilbert?" She closed the gap between them and placed her hand lightly on his back. "All I wanted was to be with you."

When he felt the contact of her hand against his shoulder blade he immediately straightened his back. Wherever she made contact with him always felt like it was getting burnt. He turned around then and taking her hand in both of his he said, "I am cursed to live alone until the day I am dead."

"Cursed?"

"Yes. I cannot be with you, Tsubaki." He looked around. It had gotten darker. The time was close. "I have to leave..." He released her hand.

"NO!" she said desperately. She stepped in front of him blocking his path. "Please don't leave! Stay with me!"

"I must leave!" he insisted trying to get around her, but she would not allow it. She grabbed on to his shoulders and held unto him tight, pressing her naked breasts into his chest. Gilbert needed to get away. If he did not then she would witness his transformation. He did not want that. Whatever affection she had for him would surely vanish then... Then an idea struck him... Why then was he keeping it a secret from her? If he wanted her to find someone else then the most effective way to get her away from him is if she saw what he became at night.

"Tsubaki, do you want to know why I need to be left alone at nights? Why I cannot be with you?"

"Gilbert... I don't care!" she hugged him even tighter and she said to him, "I love you!"

His heart was overjoyed at the sound of those words, but Gilbert needed to be realistic! "No, please don't say that!" his voice was fraught as he peeled her off him. "You can't love me!"

"But I do... It is too late. I love you! I love you! You have passed the test! You are my destined mate."

"What are you talking about?" He searched her eyes.

"I am the Lady of this Lake like my mother before me and her mother before her. If we make love to a male who is not our rightful mate, we lose our powers. In order to ascertain which male is the right one, we sing a special song. It can only be heard by the man who fits us perfectly. I sang that song tonight, Gilbert, and you came straight to me. You have passed the test. You are the man I am supposed to be with!" Tsubaki smiled broadly and hugged him again. "Gilbert! I have waited hundreds of years for this day... I want..." She became nervous here but pushed on. "I want to know what love is like. I want to know what it is like to make love to a man and you are the only man who can show these things to me."

He could see nor hear any deceit in her eyes or voice. "Tsubaki..." he did not know what to say. He was her mate? "Tsubaki, are you serious about that song and test?"

"Yes, of course. Now behave and let me love you!" she laughed.

How he wanted that. If only life was perfect. His heart sank as he said, "Tsubaki I am cursed." He took a stabilizing breath before he said, "My transformation is almost upon me. Since you believe that I am your mate, then you must witness it yourself."

"T-transformation?"

Any minute now he would turn. Would Tsubaki still want him? Probably not... It was sundown. He could feel his skin beginning to itch. He pulled away from her. She tried to drag him back to her but he said as he removed the mantle she had sent for him, "Here put this on." When she did as he said he continued, "Now, stay there! Whatever happens, do not approach me. Do you understand?"

She nodded to indicate that she did. She heard Gilbert release a moan which intensified into a low scream. She watched in horror was his face became contorted, his back bent and his knees buckled under so much pain that she could barely watch. As he knelt before her his back and arms grew to a massive size and ripped through his tunic. His legs expanded and destroyed all of his trousers below his knees. His feet which became giant talons with frightening large nails and covered in green scales erupted from his boots. His now huge chest was also covered in scales and his fingers were disfigured like he was clutching something and from each a sharp claw extended. His beautiful silver-white hair became a shaggy, slightly curling mane which covered most of his back. From his head two large horns curled out on either side of his pointed ears and while his face retained some resemblance to his true form, it was wider and squarer. His eyes were more slanted and larger and his nose was now broader and flared.

When the pain finally abated he stood to his true height. Despite his back being bent and his large muscular legs being bowed and bent at the knees, he towered over Tsubaki. His mass had increased by more than twice and he was almost a foot taller than his original 6 feet. He looked at Tsubaki through eyes that were not completely his anymore and he saw her crying. He turned around swiftly to make an escape. His muscles flexed and his body was poised to leap away when he heard her call his name.

Tsubaki saw his muscles still, but he refused to face her again. She therefore went around him but when she reached out to touch him he shied away from her touch. When she tried again he did the same thing. He then spoke, still looking away, "Why are you still here? Are you not afraid?"

"How can I be afraid of you, Gilbert?" she asked.

"Then why were you crying?" he wanted to know.

"Because I hated seeing you in so much pain!" She tried to touch him again and he allowed her to. She ran her hands over the scales which covered his chest and shoulders. The feel of them surprised her. They looked like green glass or like emerald, but they were warm and soft instead of cold and hard.

Gilbert shivered under her touch. "Tsubaki... please..." he pleaded. In this form he was much more of a beast. The last thing he needed was the only woman he had feelings for igniting something lustful in him while he was in this grotesque form.

"Gilbert," she whispered before she tried to pull him down to her. "Why didn't you tell me...?" she was crying again. "I am so sorry I called you a coward! I had no idea!"

He knelt down on one knee then so that she could wrap her arms around his huge shoulders. "Why would I want to show anyone this monstrous form?"

"You are not monstrous!" Tsubaki insisted. To demonstrate she placed her face against his face and rubbed her cheek against his.

"You are too kind to me, Tsubaki." He said still afraid that all this would disappear. This must be a dream. He had fallen asleep somewhere...

"No. It is not kindness!" she replied, "It is selfishness!"

He opened his lips to ask her what she meant but instead her lips snuffed out any sound as she kissed him squarely on the mouth. In his disbelief he stopped still. He refused to even breathe because if he did this apparition of Tsubaki kissing his gargoyle form would disappear forever. He wanted the dream to last forever, but he knew that it would not so taking Tsubaki's advice, he took what was offered. He grabbed onto her and crushed her against him and he kissed her back.

How long had it been since he had felt the lips of a woman against his, in any form? He felt her lips move apart and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. Tsubaki moaned when his tongue curled around hers. She buried her fingers in his mane as he moved his tongue against hers gently caressing it. Her heartbeat sped up and she had difficulty breathing. Her breasts felt hot and she pressed them into his chest. She heard Gilbert groan in pleasure against her lips and her kisses became more ardent.

Gilbert was quickly losing his head and so he pushed her away. Tsubaki was shocked and confused, but before she asked what happened, he supplied her with an answer. "Tsubaki, we can't continue like this. I have very little control over my basic instincts when I am in this form. You can guess what will happen if I we don't stop now. If we went further, I would probably break you in two."

Tsubaki blushed and nodded. "I am sorry... I..."

"Please do not apologize." He smiled lopsidedly.

"Tell me what happened to you. Why were you cursed?"

It happened 250 years ago. I was engaged to a beautiful woman named Millicent, but she was not what she seemed. The only reason she wanted to be my fiancée was because she knew that I was close to the King. It took me a long time before I discovered what she and her family had planned. Her father, an archduke wanted to overthrow the King and she used her position to acquire information on the King's whereabouts and routines. They had planned to assassinate him and they almost succeeded. If I had not discovered their treachery the Demon World would have been thrown into anarchy and possibly destroyed. Very few demons know that Lucifer's power keeps the entire Demon World in balance with the Miasma which lies beneath it. If his power is weakened or absent then miasma would flood the Demon World and then there would be nothing stopping it from rising into the Earth and beyond. Miasma in high concentrations are toxic to most demons except the strongest. Can you imagine what it would do to humans?

"You know I was actually stupid enough to believe that she was in love with me!" He smiled sadly.

Tsubaki gave him a quick kiss and said, "You never have to live without love again. I will love you until the world is no more!"

"Just before she was put to death, with her dying breath she placed this curse on me. I turn into this monster every night and I keep this form until sunrise. There is no way to break it!"

**OKAY so you all got a bonus. Give me some reviews for me being so kind as putting up 3 chapters in 1 day! **


	27. The Next Morning

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein

Thank you **Fangirl3000**, **Pochi-chin**, **Tabs** and **IshtarAli** for your reviews! Yay! So happy that my readers like the story!

_**WARNING: LEMON CONTENT… If you are too young please do not read. I have marked it off so it will be easy to skip. I am going to change the rating of this fanfic soon. **_

**Chapter 27: The Next Morning **

The weather improved with the Tsubaki's mood. The dark clouds were parting to reveal a star studded sky, and the moon would be rising soon. Tsubaki showed Gilbert the way to her secret refuge which was situated near the lake. Towards the west there was a high mountain which contained a large waterfall. The waterfall had carved out a cave space behind it and there, kept locked by a large boulder was a room furnished for the Queen. Gilbert held her close to him as he ran and leapt through the wood unto prairie land and into the mountains. His long stride and powerful bounds made short work of the distance and within minutes they had reached the base of the waterfall which emptied into a roaring river. Gilbert waded into the river water along the shore getting the dirt off his legs. Tsubaki showed him the almost invisible pathway which led to the boulder. In a few seconds Gilbert reached their destination and let Tsubaki down so that she could open the door. She placed her palm flat against the rock in the dead centre and she pushed against it. The huge stone rumbled away to reveal a large room.

In the early night the space was already dark, but Gilbert had no trouble finding a touch that was kept near the entrance. He lit it with fire tipped fingers and then proceeded to light all the torches which were situated around the room. It was simply but elegantly furnished like all other of the Queen's places of rest. To the left of the room was a screen situated in front of a chest, to the right was a simple settee and to the back was a large bed sitting low on the ground. It was made up with black linens and was laden with a large number of silk covered pillows of various colours: red, pink, blue and yellow. She led him to the bed and asked him to lie down.

She then went behind the screen where she kept a few changes of clothes in the chest. Recalling the fins around her waist into her body, Tsubaki was now completely naked. She selected simple underwear, a midnight blue sleeping gown and a matching robe that covered her well. She remembered what Gilbert had said about him being unable to resist urges in his present form and she did not want to do anything that may make him too uncomfortable.

When she came around again to the bed Gilbert asked, "Where will you sleep?" He then suggested, "The floor is good enough for me." He made to get up.

Pushing him down she said, "Stay right there. We will share the bed."

"Tsubaki, I don't think that would be a good idea. I…"

"Oh hush!" she chided. "I trust you despite all that you say. You won't attack me!" When Gilbert relaxed and lied down, Tsubaki placed herself next to him and snuggling close she placed her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat which was at first quite fast because he was nervous but then it slowed to a peaceful rhythm.

"I still can't believe that you love me in spite of this form." he said gently.

"Well I do!" she insisted. Tsubaki was not convinced that there was no way to break Gilbert's curse. There must be something that could be done. She was Nimue, arguably the most powerful witch who ever walked the human worlds. There must be something that she could do… or maybe Ayame might be a better choice. She had said that he was afflicted with something. _"Something in his blood..."_ , she said. Also Hana was a virologist so maybe she could look at his blood and compare it to a healthy demon's blood like Vivi's. In addition, once Hana started her training maybe the three of them could do something. There was no way she was leaving Gilbert to face this thing alone again without searching for some remedy. "Have you been to a healer?" she asked him.

"Yes, I was desperate for a long time." His voice was grim. "I have been to various healers, shamans and warlocks in the demon world and also to some of the human world. Not even my King could do anything. The only person who could break it is the one who cast it and she is dead. After over 100 years of searching for a cure I gave up and then accepted it." He embraced her suddenly and then said softly, "But now that you have walked into my life, hope blossoms and I want to find a cure all over again…"

Smiling she stated, "I will find a cure for you, even if it is the last thing that I do. I hate to think that you must go through so much pain every evening and morning."

"The pain only last a couple of minutes and then it is gone. Now that you have accepted me in this form, Tsubaki, I don't care about the pain."

"Yes, but is so unfair that you have been suffering in silence for so many years. I have to put an end to this!" She then smiled wickedly and said "Besides, if you remain in this form then we won't be able to make love at night!"

"Ahhh! So now the truth comes out." Gilbert laughed. Tsubaki was stunned to hear it, but liked it. His laughter was deep and rich and it flowed over her like warm honey. "Is that all you care about?" he asked.

"Of course!" she replied teasing him. In a more serious tone she continued, "You have no idea how hard it is to remain celibate for hundreds of years. I have been a virgin too long!"

"Actually I do know." He informed her gently.

"Oh yes, that's right…"

"And… there is something worse than remaining a virgin. Can you imagine finding out what it was like to make love and then not being able to engage in it for two and a half centuries?" he asked her.

"Oh…" Tsubaki had to admit that his situation was much worse than hers. She did not know what she was missing since she had never been with a man… There was something thought. Although she was feisty and saucy with her teasing she had a secret that he needed to know… She wondered if he would think her dirty if she told him. _Might as well get it over and done with!_ She mused to herself. _He shared his biggest secret with me! But I will wait until morning. _She decided to try to get some rest and she knew that Gilbert must be tired too. She would allow him to sleep before telling him what she kept from all others.

When Tsubaki awoke, she found herself lying on a chest devoid of scales. She looked under her and saw the pale skin of a demon who had transformed back into his real form. She raised her head slowly and looked up at Gilbert's face which was his own once more. She watched the long silver lashes that almost touched his cheek as he lay sleeping. She smiled to herself. His grip around her waist had not loosened in all those hours while they slept. She liked watching him sleep, his handsome face was so peaceful, but she could not resist the temptation to kiss him. So gently raising herself off his chest she carefully positioned her face above his and closing her eyes she gently approached his lips with hers. Suddenly she felt herself being turned over. Her eyes flew open to see Gilbert smirking above her. Immediately he closed the distance between their lips and kissed her hungrily.

Tsubaki gladly opened her lips to his questing tongue and moaned as his guided his tongue to hers teasing hers with light touches. She grew impatient and placing one of her hands behind his head and wrapping an arm around his back she pulled him down closer to her. She increased the temper of her kisses and she used her tongue to caress his in a bolder way than he was caressing hers. She heard him groan in delight and he finally gave her what she wanted.

Tsubaki's heart was racing away like a doe being chased through the forest by some beast. The feel of his body against hers as he lay on top of her set her body aflame, and there was a strange tingling in her womanplace. She squeezed her thighs together but this made the sensation increase. She knew what her body was trying to say. She wanted Gilbert inside her like her visions promised, but there was something she needed to tell him. Regretfully she tore her lips away and tried to catch her breath.

"Gilbert, there is something that I need to tell you…" she said in a small and frightened voice.

He pulled away from her a little and held her gently by the upper arms. "What is it? Please do not be afraid to tell me anything."

"Well… during my last incarnation, I was burnt at the stake as a witch."

Gilbert was puzzled. "How was that possible…? You are so powerful."

"Yes, this is true but at that time I had lost my powers."

"Lost your powers?" he repeated and then he understood. "You had a lover?" he asked it calmly, but inside Gilbert's temper was boiling.

"Not exactly…" Breathing suddenly became an effort as she tried to summon enough courage to carry on with her story.

"Then what happened?" Gilbert tried to get rid of the anxiety and anger from his voice but was not completely successful.

"It was not what you think..." She looked up at him into his eyes and said, "The witch hunters were killing innocent women and if I had attacked them then many more people may have been dragged into the fight and gotten injured so I quietly gave myself up. When I did that they placed on me specially made shackles that I did not know they had in their possession. They are called blood shackles. They are called this because human blood is mixed with the iron melt during the smelting process. It is the only thing that can force a witch's power into submission. With my powers sealed, there was no way I could stop them..." Tsubaki began to cry then… "I could do nothing… One of the guards raped me." She cried loudly while saying, "I am so sorry…"

Gilbert hugged her against him, but he felt a rage like he never did before. She was raped and then burnt alive? He must concentrated on her now. This was not the time to get angry with some despicable excuses for human beings he would never meet. "Why do you always apologize for things that are beyond your control?" He kissed the top of her head.

"But I was raped! I am unclean!" she said.

"You were forced. There is nothing unclean about you!" he said vehemently! "And besides you think that I care about any of that?" Gilbert demanded. "You think that could possibly change the way I feel about you? Not even death can change how I feel about you!"

"I don't know… I just thought…" she began to whisper.

But she did not get to finish her thought. Instead she heard him say seductively, "Shall I show you how I feel about you?"

Tsubaki's heart flipped. All her brazenness that she exhibited before disappeared so that she could only look up at him in stunned silence.

Gilbert took her silence to be a granting of consent. He would be slow with her. She was traumatized and he did not want to frighten her in any way. Slowly he reached for the sash which kept her robe together. He tugged at it and the robe fell open. She said nothing and so he proceeded. He moved above her, lowering his face to hers. When he kissed her, her eyes fluttered shut and so he reached for one of the thin straps of her nightgown. Slowly he slid it down her arm. She seemed unbothered and so he did the same with the other strap.

**START OF LEMON CONTENT**

Tsubaki surprised gasp quickly turned into a moan of delight as she felt Gilbert's palm and fingers curl around the underside of her left breast through the nightgown. Slowly he ran his hand round to its inside curve as his thumb rubbed against her nipple. As he continued to kiss and fondle her, her breast began to feel hot and heavy and her nipple hardened in response. Gilbert's lips left hers then and she sucked in air greedily. His actions made her forget to breathe as she instinctively pressed her breast into his hand. She felt his hot lips trail kisses down her throat and then in the valley between her breasts. Unhurriedly he then raised his head and ceased touching her.

With the sensations gone, Tsubaki opened her eyes and looked up at Gilbert who was examining her closely. He saw that her lids were heavy with desire but he asked, "Do you trust me? Do you want me to continue?"

Tsubaki nodded a yes. She was not sure her voice was capable of forming words. All she knew was that she wanted the feelings he erupted within her to continue.

He straddled her hips then and pulled her nightgown down to her waist exposing her breast and upper abdomen to him. He reached for her and began to gently caress her abdomen. Fanning his fingers out he slid his hands on either side of her and then brought them up to cover each of her breasts simultaneously. She closed her eyes and arched her back giving him better access to her body. She groaned as his fingers teased her nipples and when one of his hands was replaced with his lips she sucked in her breath suddenly producing a high pitched gasp.

Gilbert loved the sounds that Tsubaki was making. They told him that she was enjoying what he was doing and he wanted to increase her pleasure further. With the flat of his tongue he licked her nipple once, twice, trice and then began to suckle her. She moaned in pure delight and reaching behind his head pressed his face closer to her, locking his lips against her breast. As he sucked and nibbled at her pearled nipple, his right hand kept caressing her left breast until Tsubaki lost her ability to think clearly. "Oh Gilbert!" she murmured. "Mmmm… I… ohhhh…"

Gilbert smiled above her breast. Knowing that he was the cause of her mindless sounds of bliss aroused him badly. He wanted to take her, but he knew that he had to be patient with her. When he bit down on her breast roughly she squealed and she then moaned in pleasure when his tongue circled around the tender flesh soothing the pain away. Quickly he moved to the other breast to give it equal attention allowing his hand to take over where his mouth was.

Tsubaki moaned under him and she rubbed her legs together to try to get rid of the dull ache that formed there. Her womanplace suddenly felt like lava was slowly trickling from it and her panties were thoroughly soaked. She shifted uncomfortably and arched her hips into Gilbert's silently asking for him to satisfy her there. Gilbert did not miss her movements and decided that he had kept her in suspense long enough. Her arousal permeated the air and it was getting difficult to concentrate. He smirked as he raised his head from her breasts.

He pulled the gown down further and she raised her hips to allow him to remove it completely. The only thing preventing Gilbert's gaze from seeing her entire body was her panties. She became really embarrassed then and her face turned crimson, but not because she was naked. She was very comfortable with her body. She spent as much time in her maiden form as she did in her human form and her long swims as a mermaid gave her a beautiful figure. What worried her was how wet her panties were. She looked away as Gilbert raked his eyes over her body. "You're so very beautiful, Tsubaki." He said as he reached for the elastic band of her underwear. Hooking one finger under the top of her panties he gently touched her belly under the fabric.

"Don't look away." He said to her. "I want to see your eyes as I touch you and bring you pleasure."

"Gilbert…" she trailed off as she did as he asked. He placed another finger on her panties and began to remove them. Tsubaki held her breath as the last remaining garment was being removed. Down her thighs, claves and finally down her feet to be thrown into a corner of the room. She was now finally completely naked to him. Not once did her gaze leave his.

Her lover looked upon her again. She had no hair anywhere on her body except for her hair on her head and her eyebrows. Placing his face near her womanplace he said "You smell wonderful! May I taste you?"

"T-taste me? You want t…" but her words ceased as Gilbert placed his tongue against her and licked up her cleft of Venus to her clitoris. She cried out in surprise and pleasure. Placing his hands on her inner thighs, Gilbert forced her legs open as he continued to taste her. Slowly he licked between her labia up and down repeatedly moving closer to her clit every time his tongue travelled up. When he finally reached his goal he flicked his tongue over the sensitive nub over and over again. Tsubaki grabbed the pillow below her head with one hand and kept Gilbert's hand locked in place with the other. Her head moved from side to side. The pleasure was too much for her and she lost all conscious thought. She mumbled and moaned in pleasure in response to Gilbert's magical tongue. "Uhhh… Gilbert…" she panted. "Please… please don't stop…"

As if he was capable of stopping. She tasted slightly sweet and salty and tangy all at once. He loved the way she smelled and tasted and it threatened to push him over the edge. His pants felt uncomfortably tight as he became increasingly aroused. As he continued to make love to her sacred place, with his lips he gently inserted two fingers into her. She squealed at the intrusion and she could not help but buck her hips against his fingers and mouth as he slowly pumped his fingers in tandem with his tongue as he licked her clit.

Tsubaki could take no more. Hey eyes closed with all the bliss. Never in her life had she felt anything like this. "Yes, yes!" she cried out. "Ahhh…. So good!" Never, in all her imaginations and visions could she foresee this rapture. Her breathing became very laborious and Gilbert knew that she was reaching her peak. He intensified his ministrations and Tsubaki felt like she was a bow that was strung too tightly. Her legs began to tremble and suddenly all her pent up feelings broke free and an enormous wave of pure ecstasy washed over her. She screamed out "**GILBERT**!" Her eyes flew open and she saw him looking into them.

Gilbert saw her eyes glaze over in pure pleasure and he kept his tongue and fingers caressing and touching her as her hips bucked against him. She rode high on the joy he afforded her and he kept making love to her special place until her hips stopped moving. Tsubaki fell back into the bed and pillows in satisfaction and exhaustion. She kept her eyes locked on Gilbert's. He moved above her and she watched as he held up the two fingers he had inserted into her close to his mouth. Extending his tongue he licked them clean. Her heart lurched at the sight and she wanted him again. He then moved towards her and kissed her. She could taste herself on his lips and it made her even more aroused.

**END OF LEMON CONTENT**

"Did I please you, my Queen?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He laid down next to her and brought her body flush against his own.

Clearing her throat she said, "It was alright. You need to practice!" she teased having difficulty keeping her face straight.

"And who will I practice on? On your handmaidens perhaps? After they leave your service, of course."

"Of course not! You will have to practice on me! Several times a day, every day!" she proclaimed.

Gilbert smiled. "You're going to be quite sore."

"As long as you make me feel what you did just now, I don't care!" she laughed unable to keep it in anymore.

"I cannot disobey the direct order from my Queen." Gilbert replied.

"Oh… and what would Lucifer say if he heard you?"

"Well… he did say get a girlfriend!" he informed her.

She laughed heartily. "He did indeed."

**Okay folks there it is. And yes, there will be more Lemons and different kinds in this story. So now, please, leave me a review so that I know if you liked it. **


	28. To Save A Demon Lover

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein**

Thank you **blueshard9510, FanGirl3000, IshtarAli, and thearistocrat **for your reviews and sorry to all the readers for taking so long and then giving you a short chapter. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO BUSY! :(

**Chapter 28: To Save A Demon Lover **

"What about you, Gilbert?" Tsubaki asked with a blush. "Do you not need release?"

Gilbert wanted her, but now was not the time. He was not sure what would happen if he made love to Tsubaki and… "Tsubaki, I am not sure that we should make love just yet."

Tsubaki frowned heavily and said, "If you are worried that there should be some sort of wedding ceremony before we become one, then there is nothing to worry about. We can make love properly right now if we wanted." Then another idea dawned on her. "If you are worried about me being traumatized by my rape then don't be. I trust you completely!" she declared.

Gilbert smiled slightly at her words. "I was worried about that but that is not the only problem." He said gently, "I am not sure what would happen if we were to make love and a child is produced. I do not know if this curse will be passed down through the generations. There have been instances where the sins of the father are inherited by children, so to speak."

Tsubaki pulled in a breath sharply. She had not thought of that. Her visions promised that she would bear her mate a child and… She tried to remember that vision. As far as she could recall there was nothing wrong with the baby. Of course visions had the ability to change since the future was not written in stone. "We will let Ayame and Hana examine you and your blood… Until then we won't become one…" She tried hard not to cry but tears began to fall. "I am so sorry… You've suffered so much… I swear that I will find you a cure. I will stake my life on it!"

Gilbert kissed her then. "I am sorry that you had to be dragged into this."

"I will have it no other way." She was Nimue and there was no way in Hell, Heaven or Earth that she would fail Gilbert. She made up her mind. She would find a cure and that was final. "I think that we should head back. She had to speak to Hana and Ayame about Gilbert's situation and she needed to make sure that everything was alright. If the King Reagent came to her castle and found out that his daughter was due to be punished on the next morning he would be extremely upset. Knowing him and his sometimes short temper…

Tsubaki had a bad feeling. She hurried along with Gilbert closely following her. Something was amiss, she just knew it! It took them less than half of an hour to reach the flower field. The castle was in sight standing above the river. They were now only few hundred feet away Tsubaki suddenly stopped… The drawbridge was down… Tsubaki started thinking to herself, _Why is the bridge down? There was no one carded to leave at this early hour. _ Looking at the top of the gate pillars she wondered, _And where are my guards? _There should be at least one lookout per pillar.

"Gilbert…" she whispered.

"Yes, I have noticed that your guards are missing. Tsubaki, we need to be cautious." Gilbert warned.

"Come quickly," she said as she veered west, "there is a secret passageway and entrance."

"Is there not a chance that it has been discovered?" he asked.

"Yes, but even Galahad would not be able to guard the outer end since it is underwater."

"You think that Galahad has betrayed you?" Gilbert asked.

"No one else would dare. Besides, he probably found out about his daughter's punishment. I don't know how, but somehow Katherine got a message to her father."

"What about the inner end of this secret passageway?" Gilbert questioned as he followed her.

"There is a special lock on the door of the inner end, but only myself can open it. If there are guards on the other side then we will know that this is Galahad's doing. Stupid boy!" She spitted out. When they had gone 500 meters up the river round a bend in the river she stopped. Turning to Gilbert she asked, "Can you swim and if so are you a strong swimmer?"

"Yes, I can swim and I am fairly good at it."

"Good… We need to be underwater for about 700 m. It will take several minutes and we won't be able to come up for air."

"I will not be able to hold my breath long enough…" he said. "Maybe I could…"

"I will breath for you. I will give you air periodically."

Removing her clothing she hid it under some bushes and waded into the river "Come Gilbert. Follow me, we must swim from here." When the water reached above her waist she changed into her mermaid form.

Just before she dived she heard Gilbert say, "You really a beautiful creature, Tsubaki."

She smiled and said, "You're not so bad yourself! Alright, let's go!" They dove together and Tsubaki swam besides Gilbert so that she could keep a watchful eye on him so she would know when he needed air. After a little over a minute she captured his face and placing her lips against his she breathed into her lover's mouth.

Soon they came to the entrance of a submarine cave system. Within the labyrinth of passageways lay a single route which led straight to a corridor that ran under and up to a hidden door to the Queen's private quarters. Giving Gilbert air a few more times, they made their way to the submerged outer entrance of the corridor. When they were about 100 metres from the exit Tsubaki turned to Gilbert and wrapped her arms around his torso. She began to flick her tail forcefully and swiftly against the water accelerating her swimming. As Gilbert held on to her tightly she propelled herself up powerfully through the water and jumped through the opening up into the corridor. She flung herself and Gilbert several meters into the air almost towards the top of the cavern corridor. When their height peaked she changed back into her human form and released Gilbert so that he could land comfortably. She touched down effortlessly and stood for a few seconds looking in the direction of the secret bedroom doorway.

"Tsubaki… What is it?" Gilbert whispered.

"Something odious permeates the air…" She gave no more explanation as she began to make her way to her bedroom. When she reached the door she summoned three swords. To Gilbert she gave a pair of curved Berserker broad swords and reserved Excalibur for herself.

"Good choices." Gilbert told her. He suddenly pulled her against him and kissed her deeply, "For good luck."

Despite the seriousness of the situation Tsubaki smiled and asked, "Is that why you kissed me?"

Gilbert only smirked in response.

Biting her thumb to draw blood she placed a bloody thumb print against the door. As it slowly opened their grip on their swords tightened as they prepared to meet an army of enemy soldiers… but, the door dragged open to an empty royal chamber. They looked at each other with confused expressions. Quickly but stealthily, Tsubaki and Gilbert exited her room and entered the main corridor. It was deserted and the entire castle was silent. The silence pressed against Tsubaki's ears more that the thundering of one thousand voices. Her castle was always full of life. Did the King Reagent lay siege to her castle and did away with her handmaidens? Surely not… He would not dare to harm them, would he…? He was immature and was sometimes the victim of his whims and fancies, but he was not an evil man.

They made their way unhindered to her throne room which lay in the centre of the castle. Nothing… nobody. "Tsubaki," Gilbert began. "I can neither smell nor sense anyone in any of the surrounding rooms. I think we should look in the dungeons."

Tsubaki nodded wordlessly as they bagan making their way to the western end of her castle. When they reached the gate to a long flight of steps, Gilbert took the torch he found there and lit it with flame-tipped fingers. He could see with his nocturnal vision, so he gave it to Tsubaki so her way was lit. There was a system of torches that could be set aflame to illuminate the entire passageway but doing so would announce their arrival to any enemies who may have been stationed there laying in wait to ambush them. Down through the subterranean catacombs and finally into the dungeons, Gilbert and Tsubaki silently went. Once again they were faced with more silence. There were no soldiers or other enemies awaiting their arrival.

"Velten, what happened?" Tsubaki heard Gilbert say as he rushed over to the cell where the demon was incarcerated. In less than a second Gilbert had wrapped his hands around the bars and giving a good tug ripped the gate off its hinges. Tsubaki looked on in awe in the dim light… So her dungeons were no match for the strength of a demon, and yet Velten did not try to escape. She could not see the back of the cell where Velten was and so getting over her initial shock she went over to a corner of the main dungeon room and lit the torch system to illuminate the entire underground floor.

Now that she could see she turned back to Gilbert and Velten. She approached them eager to hear what happened but when she did her hands were flung up to her mouth as she gasped loudly. With widened eyes she asked shakily, "V-Velten… What? What happened to you?"

Velten was shackled to the wall in an upright position, but his body slumped against the restraints. His clothing was bloodied and torn, his skin and hair covered in dirt and one side of his face was burnt like someone threw acid on it. Gilbert used his swords and made short work of the shackles, and he caught Velten as he fell forward. Gently placing the Baron on his back he said to Tsubaki, "They used holy water on him. Only that can burn a demon so badly."

Kneeling at Velten's side Tsubaki touched the unwounded side of his face and removed some of the blood and dirt that was caked there against his fair skin. A few tears trickled out from her eyes and fell unto his face. Velten stirred under her gentle stroking and the moisture that felt like raindrops. "Eleanor," he breathed out gently, almost inaudibly, "I am so sorry… I…"

"Velten," Gilbert said in an almost rough tone to make him become more aware of his surroundings, "can you tell us what happened."

Velten blinked a few times like he was awakening from a dream and it took him almost a minute to focus on the two people bending over him. "They took Eleanor and Hana… They took them… all the maids and Vivi…" He shook his head and he cried out, "Vivi… they hurt him much more than they did me… We have to save them… The King Reagent is mad with rage."

"The King Reagent injured Vivi?" Gilbert was astonished. Vivi, awarded the title of Duke at age 10, the mightily powerful demon who Lucifer chose as his successor beaten by a mere human? Impossible! "They used Hana as leverage, didn't they?" he suddenly asked.

"Yes! The King Reagent had a sword to her neck and he told Vivi that if he did not back off he would slit her throat. He then ordered his men to soak Vivi with holy water. When the first bucket was thrown on Vivi and his skin began to burn it was Hana who begged for them to stop hurting him. The Reagent then asked her what she would give in return for allowing 'this vile creature' to live."

Velten paused before he continued. "She said she would give her life to save Vivi. Vivi screamed at her to stop spewing nonsense but the Reagent had other plans." Velten's lips twisted like he tasted something disgusting. "The Reagent told her that if she wanted to save the demon that she must become his queen and that they would consummate the marriage tonight. Hana did not even blink when she said yes."


	29. Dangerous Situations

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.

Thank you **autum16**** and crazy4wolves **for your review! I actually have not read that story/novel. It is interesting that the starting was the same…

**Chapter 29: Dangerous Situations **

Hana could not sit quietly. Instead she paced relentlessly about the room she was confined in… Or more accurately, the room in which she was imprisoned. It was beautifully furnished, luxurious with plump and plush pillows pilled unto a soft, downy bed on which silken linens were laid. The four poster bed was complete with lace and brocade curtains and velvet draperies adored the large cathedral style windows. There was a settee and a chair with upholstery that matched the brocade to the left of the bed. On the right was a huge Tudor black wardrobe that contrasted with the creamy coloured walls. Next to it was a large chest of drawers and trunk both of which shared the dark colour of the wardrobe. On the night stand there was a silver bowl and pitcher set. It was a room fit for a princess. No, it was fit for a Queen, but Hana took no notice of her surroundings. She was too wrapped up in her thoughts.

She had stopped crying a while ago but only because she had no more tears to shed; and there was no way she could stop thinking about Vivi. The holy water burned him through his clothes like acid. Not once did he cry out in pain. He seemed to be incapable of feeling anything but concern for her. What was she to do now? She agreed to be the wife of the King Reagent… To save her demon lover she would do anything. She could not bear to see Vivi hurt anymore. _But where is he? Is he okay? I want to see him…_ Thoughts like these circled furiously in her mind making her pace back and forth, back and forth in an exquisite room she cared not for. _How am I getting out of this_…? she continued to think._ No one, no other man but Vivi is supposed to touch me… I promised him, but they were hurting him so much_. _What am I going to do?_ she asked herself. Finally she gave up and told herself, _I am such an idiot._

When she finished admonishing herself she was finally able to think of someone besides Vivi… _Where are Tsubaki and Gilbert?_ Hope blossomed in her heart. She knew they were both powerful and skilled, but when did they plan on returning to the castle? Hana forced herself to sit down on the bed and tried to calm down telling herself that everything would be alright. _And what about Velten? _Was he okay? He was alive when they left him, but he was badly injured and then they chained him to the wall of the dungeon. _And Eleanor… Where is she?_ It seemed like no harm was going to come to the handmaidens, but what about the demoness? It was no secret that the King Reagent hated demons. He called them vile and he burnt Vivi and Velten, but he put Eleanor under arrest. Where was she now? Hana realized that until she knew about her lover and friends were safe that there would be no calming down for her. She began to pace again. _**The bastards**_**!** And that King Reagent was the worst of them all! Hana became enraged and going to the door pounded on it furiously. She screamed, **"GET ME OUT OF HERE! I WANT TO SEE MY FRIENDS! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT RIGHT NOW!" **

Her shouting carried on for almost 5 minutes before someone opened the door suddenly and her fist met with the flesh and bone of a chest instead of the wood of the door. Looking up into the person's face she realized that it was the King Reagent himself. "What is the meaning of all this noise?" he asked her in an annoyed tone.

"I want to see my friends!" Hana declared with an upturned head proudly staring up at him. She did not want him to see any weakness.

"I am sorry, but that is not possible!" the man in front of her declared.

Hana felt her teeth grind together, "I want to see them. **And I want to see them now!**"

Grabbing her arm he tried to pull her into the bedroom, but she resisted. Hana swiftly raised her free hand and making a fist slammed the wrist of the hand holding her arm. Taken by surprise, the King yelped out in pain and immediately released her.

"Don't touch me!" She shouted in disgust.

The Reagent said, as he massaged his hand, "Do that again and your demon lover will die!" He then sneered at her and said, "I want to hear you tell me not to touch you when I make you my woman. Don't worry, if you are not cooperative I will tie you to the bed and then have my way with you. But you will enjoy it. I shall cleanse that tainted soul of yours with my body. If you were not so beautiful I would have just put you to death for whoring yourself… And to a vile creature like a demon!" He sounded incredulous and absolutely revolted!

_Vivi, vile? Never!_ "I will never enjoy being with you. If you touch me know that I will and will always be thinking of my demon lover, who is a purer soul than you could ever be even if you live for an eternity!"

This declaration made the Reagent mad with rage. Hana watched on as his face turned red and then almost blue with fury. "You will become mine. I look forward to you screaming to be rescued. Know that all in this citadel are loyal to me and there is no hope for you." Turning on his heal, he left, locking the door behind him.

Hana breathed out heavily and sat once again on her bed thinking about her friends.

Cold water… Eleanor shook her head to get the water off her face. It took her a few seconds to register what was going on. She had been awakened up by a bucket of cold water splashed into her face. She found herself shackled down to some sort of table, her arms and legs spread out from her body and around her waist was a broad leather strap. She fought to get up, but she could not. _My powers are bound!_ She mused to herself. Then the memories of this morning came rushing into her mind.

The King Reagent's army had silently laid siege to the castle just before dawn and neither Tsubaki nor Gilbert was anywhere to be found. Before any of the Queen's guests knew what was happening, the Reagent himself snuck into Hana's room and took her hostage. The demons began to fight the intruders but when the King brought Hana out with a sword to her throat, Vivi, Velten and Eleanor could now do nothing. They threw a whole bucket of holy water on Vivi, burned Velten's face with more holy water and then said that they were to be put to death. Hana begged for their lives, and made a deal with the Reagent. She would become his wife to save her friends. Vivi went murderous with rage but Hana begged him to do nothing.

"I can't bear to see you hurt, Vivi!" she cried out.

"This is nothing… I won't let you sacrifice yourself for me." He told her from across the room. "I…"

He never got to finish his other statement for the Reagent chimed in, "Oh, how touching!" He mocked. "As if a demon knows anything about sacrifice... You make a human woman whore herself to you and then you fiend affection for her. You are a despicable creature and you shall spend the rest of your life imprisoned in my dungeon. But you can rest assured that this girl's soul will be saved. You tried to damn her, but when she becomes my queen, tonight, I will make her pure again and worthy of heaven."

Then everything went black. The pain on the back of her neck told her that she was struck there unconscious. _Where is Velten? Is Vivi okay… __**And what about Hana?**_ She renewed her struggling against the binds, but she could move.

"No use strugglin' you demon slut." A low voice said from one corner of the room. "You ain't goin' nowhere!" These words were followed by ominous laughter that made the demoness cringe. Turning her head in the direction of the voice she saw a figure begin to approach her from the dark side of the room. He stepped into the dim light cast by a couple of small touches lit on the opposite side of the large, musky smelling room. It was a tall, broad man in full chainmail armour. He removed his helmet and revealed a large face with a healthy growth of red unkempt beard. His hair was wet and messy and stuck to his scalp. He smiled at Eleanor and revealed a row of yellow teeth between blackened lips. He smelled of sweat and tobacco and his breath, as he got nearer to her, had her fighting to get away from him.

"I think I'm gonna have me some fun." He muttered to himself before he stuck his tongue out and licked up Eleanor's cheek that faced him.

She could barely pull away, but Eleanor did so with full force and then said, "What the fuck are you doing?" she demanded angrily. "**Get away from me!**"

"Fuck… that is exactly what I was thinkin'…" he smiled evilly at her. Going around the table he stopped in front of her feet that were bound apart from each other. He began removing his armour until he was only wearing his soft underclothing.

He proceeded to run his hand up the inside of her right leg. Eleanor bit her tongue. She would not cry out since she knew that this would please this perpetrator. She watched in horror as her dress went up her body with the bastard's hand.

His hand was now on her inner thigh. He made a lazy circle there and then suddenly his hand cupped and squeezed down hard on her womanplace. Eleanor could not help but shout out a string of expletives. She ended her tirade of words with, "Go ahead… I will burn you alive!"

He laughed at her and then placing both hands on the top of her dress he ripped the bodice open. He pulled her bra up and then began to fondle her breasts. He was muttering to himself again something about fucking a demon bitch.

_This is not happening._ Eleanor told herself as she closed her eyes and tried to transport her mind somewhere else. She was not successful though. She felt a tongue on her neck and then there was a great weight pressing down on her body and on either side of her hips hard planes of flesh were placed. A rancid smell filled her nostrils and she was having difficulty breathing. She felt a hand grouping her intimate area below her panties and fingers trying to intrude and then suddenly the weight was lifted off her, the hand was removed, the revolting smell decreased in intensity and she could breathe again.

She heard shouting, "What do you think you are doing?" A deep voice of authority demanded.

"Sir Gawain," the bastard was saying. He sounded afraid. "I was… I was watching over the prisoner. She was cold."

If the situation was not so repulsive Sir Gawain may have laughed at the more than blatant lie. "Get out and wait in the barracks for the declaration of your punishment and if I find out that you have returned," He drew his sword and made a cutting motion, "I will make sure that you cannot sire any children."

"Yes, milord." The bastard said meekly. He quickly picked up his chainmail and hurried out of the room.

Eleanor was listening carefully, but tried to prepare for a repeat of what just happened. She knew that these soldiers and knights were one and the same. The higher ranking one was just sending that stinking soldier so he could have some fun himself. Eleanor saw someone come into view. His face was turned away from her and she saw that he had raised a cloak in the air and she felt it come down to cover her body. When her body was hidden, he turned back to her. "I apologize for that. Soldiers are punished severely for touching a woman uninvited."

Eleanor looked up at the man who was called Sir Gawain. She registered a strong jaw line which was covered by a neatly trimmed light auburn beard. His nose which was aquiline but prominent lay between two large but heavy lidded, beautiful gray eyes and above a full, a neat slim mustache that sat just above full, well formed lips. His hair, which was a darker shade of his beard, was wavy and was long to the nape of his neck. He had some long bangs hanging to one side of his face partially obscuring his left cheek. He was very handsome… for a human.

"I am not a woman." She said sternly. "Don't you know that I am a demon whore and a bitch?"

She saw Sir Gawain flinch at her words. "You are a female strapped down to a torture table being molested by a soldier under my command. I know not of you being as you just described."

"Hmph! Whatever!" Eleanor said and looked away from the man.

"You are more than welcomed." She heard him say.

"You expect me to thank you?" Eleanor's temper flared. "You all storm your Queen's castle, burn my friends, forcing Hana to marry the Reagent, sexually assault me and you expect me to say thank you?" She was seething. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Why don't you get it over with? Stop playing a hero and rape me like that little fucker just now. I am nothing to you, right?"

"Is that what you want?" The tone of his voice changed and he sounded threatening.

Eleanor looked back at him and wondered if she had said too much. He did help her and then he covered her while looking away. She breathed out audibly and said, "I am sorry…" She paused and then added, "Thank you for getting that… thing…" he was not even a man, "off me."

His voice sounded lighter when he replied, "I will get you a change of clothing." He turned away to leave.

"Wait!" Eleanor shrieked. "Don't leave yet! Please, please tell me about my friends." She tried to get up and then cried out in frustration. "**FUCK!**"

"If I were to release you, do you promise not to try and escape?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Eleanor wanted to know.

"I will take you to see your friends, but you have to do as I say."

Eleanor became alarmed again. Do what he says? "What is it that you have in mind?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh, nothing like our friend just now." He paused for almost a minute like he was considering something and then suddenly he said, "The King Reagent is young and stupid. He should not have tried to stand against Queen Nimue. She is going to wipe the floor with him, as they say on Earth these days. He made the mistake of thinking that he has enough power within his army to vanquish her. He knows nothing. If my uncle was here…" He trailed off. He approached Eleanor again and asked, "Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, I will not try to escape… not yet anyway." She admitted.

Sir Gawain smiled down at her as he produced a key from under his chainmail. "Not yet?" He then laughed and it shocked her. His laughter was warm and rich so unlike that of the thing that attacked her. "Maybe you are indeed a demoness and I should not trust you." He continued as he unlocked the binds at her feet. "Now no kicking! I may be human, but I am not unskilled." He laughed again a little.

"Yes," Eleanor's voice was morbid. "You should not trust me… I am a demon."

Sir Gawain made quick work of the shackles that kept her hands against the table. He then did something unexpected. He raised the hand that was closest to him and enveloped it softly in both of his. His hands were large and within Eleanor's hands were lost completely. She could feel how rough his hands were against hers. The product of sword training and wielding, but his touch was gentle. "You may be a demon, but no man is safe from a woman's face that is open, honest and beautiful."

Eleanor's lips parted slightly in surprise. When was the last time a male, human or demon, told her that she was beautiful? She suddenly blushed and she hated herself for it. She pulled her hand away suddenly and said, "I told you that I am not a woman! I am a demon and you should not trust a demon!" She had attempted to say it with much force and threat, but her voice came out weak and feminine. Somehow he managed to make her feel self conscious and she did not want to show any weakness towards a human especially one who may be an enemy. Eleanor was many things, but she was not stupid. This Gawain has a long way to go before she trusted him!

He only smiled at her and then proceeded to loosen the strap from around her waist. Immediately Eleanor jumped up from the table and spreading her wings hovered above it. She watched down at Gawain who looked up at her in shock and then turned away bashfully. Then she realized that the cloak he had placed over her had fallen away and her dress and bra were out of place so that her breasts were clearly visible. Shrieking she covered her nakedness with her arms and alighted on the ground on the far end of the room which was steeped in shadow. She was now really embarrassed!

"Are you going to come out of there?" she heard the knight say.

She felt silly and stupid, like a naïve little girl! She stepped out slowly and approached him but could not look him in the eye. He handed her the cloak and said, "You really are a demon."

She wrapped herself up in the cloak. "I told you…" she began but he cut her off.

"But you are still female and since you have not tried to injure or hurt me in any way you will be under my protection until I get to the bottom of this little coup de at. Now let us go. I will take you to see your friend."

"Friend?" she asked. "Vivi or Velten?"

"I know not his name." Gawain stated.

"Blonde hair or black hair?"

"Black."

"Then where is Velten?" her voice was full of concern and the knight did not miss it.

"The blonde?" When she nodded he then asked, "Is he your mate?"

"Velten?" Eleanor was a little surprised by the question. Swallowing nervously she replied in a small voice, "No, not any more…" she trailed off.

Gawain thought to himself that she sounded hurt, "No one can tell you what another thinks, but this Velten must be stupid to let you go."

Eleanor turned to the man sharply. "I …I" She was speechless… "You don't know what you are talking about."

"You are brave, spirited and beautiful. I am almost certain that you are not without moral and principle even if you are a demon. There is little else that a man should look for in a woman. People love to complicate life. If you a good woman who is intelligent and you love him and he can love you then there is nothing more to think about."

"Well therein lays the problem. Velten has never loved me!" Eleanor said in a defeated voice.

"Then find a man or a demon who can love you!"


	30. A Demoness Wonders What Love Truly Is

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hana to Akuma or any characters therein.

Hey guys! It has been a while. You would not believe, but for some reason this was the most difficult chapter to write. Not because I am busy, but I rewrote it 4 times. No joke! Anyway, hope you like it.

**Chapter 30**

**A Knight's Demoness Wonders What Love Truly Is **

"Can you take me to Hana?" Eleanor asked the man.

"The woman who is to marry the Reagent?" he replied, turning to her.

"Yes, I cannot allow her to be forced into a marriage."

"What of her demon lover? I heard that he has been badly injured. Shall we not go to him first?"

Eleanor thought about this. "Well Vivi is a far more powerful demon than I am, but holy water injuries hurt terribly and it makes us extremely weak for days. The only thing that will be able to cure him fast enough would be human blood."

"Human blood?" The Knight's cool and calm expression was disrupted for a second by a look of disgust. It only flickered over his face before he schooled his features to one of calm again, but Eleanor noticed it. "You drink blood?"

The man's look of revulsion made Eleanor feel ashamed, "No we demons do not… not anymore. It has been outlawed for centuries, but the curing properties for us are exceptional and therefore cannot be ignored when the injury is life threatening. Nevertheless, we try not to take it by force."

"I see…" He was still considering what she said. Taking a step away from her he said, "We will set free Lady Hana and then maybe she will be able to help Vivi by supplying some blood. Since she sacrificed herself for his life, I see no reason why she will not agree."

Eleanor was shocked. _Hana would supply blood to Vivi?_ "Do you think that Vivi is some mindless fiend who will prey on Hana?" She remembered the look of distaste. "We are _not _monsters, you know!"

Turning back to her he replied hotly, "I never said anything of the sort, but you said that human blood will cure your friend so who do you think is best suited to supply the blood? Some random human who does not know him or the woman who is love with him and who would more than likely freely and without hesitation give him some of her blood if it meant saving his life? Is it any different from giving a loved one a blood transfusion?"

Eleanor looked away embarrassed by her hasty words. "You are right, I am sorry."

The knight sighed, "No apology necessary. No one can be oneself in a situation such as this."

As Eleanor thought about the knight and his words he moved away from her and approached the wall that bore two torches. He removed the longer of the two from its holder and said to her, "Would you please hold this for me for a moment?" As Eleanor wondered if they were about to depart into some dark corridor or room the knight grabbed the ends of the table to which she was previously tied, easily hoisted himself up into a squatting position and reached out for the torch which Eleanor gladly gave to him. Standing then to his full height, he stretched as far as he could and pushed the flame towards the roof of the damp, dirty room. "Damn! The torch is too short!" he exclaimed.

"What are you trying to do?" Eleanor wanted to know.

"If heat is applied to the centre brick of the ceiling then an iron lever expands and it triggers a switch situated within the brick. That switch opens a secret passageway, but the torch has burned down too low and therefore I cannot reach it."

"Did you forget, Knight, that I can fly?" she questioned.

"Yes, but do you not remember what happened to you the last time you spread your wings?" He replied with a question of his own.

Eleanor blushed but retorted, "All I have to do is to make myself more presentable before I leave the ground!" She turned away from him then and slid his cloak off her shoulders. She tied the ripped parts of her bra and bodice together as best as she could and turning back to him she spread her wings and hovered up to the ceiling.

"Here," Gawain said offering her the torch.

Shaking her head she replied, "I don't need it."

Gawain watched in awe as a red flame enveloped her right hand which she extended towards the centre brick. Within a minute there was a rumbling sound from the dark end of the room which made Gawain jump down from the table. "You did it Lady Eleanor! Thank you!"

Taking the torch, Gawain went through the opening in the wall. "Come, I will take you to your friend."

"How much do you know of this situation?" Eleanor was curious as she followed Sir Gawain.

"I am Captain of the Guard and so all reports on military activity are seen by me before the Reagent. However, this time that stupid boy acted on his own before consulting me."

"Stupid boy?" Eleanor was confused. Could he be talking about...

"The Reagent! He is badly mistaken if he thinks he can succeed with this coup!" Gawain's voice was so resolute that Eleanor was tempted to believe him completely. She was however, not stupid and so although this Captain Knight was helping her and said that he wanted to stop this takeover of Avalon, he had yet to win her trust.

The corridor they now travelled through was part of a secret system of passageways that ran through the King Reagent's castle. The system consisted of numerous hallways punctuated by various junctions which branched out into pathways leading to the main rooms of the castle. Only the Reagent and the most trusted of knights knew of their location and how to access them. They were built to safeguard the Reagent so that if any force was raised against him, he would have a safe way to escape. But now his Captain of his Guard was using these same corridors in an attempt to foil the Reagent's plans to seize control of Avalon.

The Captain Knight was not surprised for he knew that Galahad was thirsty for power and that he was waiting for any excuse to defy Tsubaki and convince the people that he should be the rightful ruler of Avalon. Tsubaki had been away for far too long and Galahad had many followers, but even so, he was a fool to think that he could fight and be victorious against the Water Goddess. True it was a very long time, a couple hundred years, since anyone had witnessed the awesome power which Tsubaki was capable of wielding, but the stupid boy, would soon find out why no one dared to defy Nimue. Gawain hoped to free the prisoners the Reagent had captured, slap some sense into the boy and plead with Tsubaki not to exile him, but he needed to do these things quickly, before the Queen of Avalon came to the Reagent's castle. He had no idea how much time he had, but he needed to act now! Furthermore, forcing a woman to marry him was far too low even for Galahad. Gawain was also known as Knight Protector of Women and no woman, no matter who she was would be forced into marriage under his watch! He was shocked that Galahad would do this. There was more going on here than he understood and he was determined to find out what this was all about.

His thoughts now turned to the woman who followed him. _A demoness?_ _To bring demons into Avalon… For what purpose does the Queen do this?_ He had already decided that no friend of the Queen was dangerous or evil. This Lady may be a demon, but that did not mean she would hurt him. Of course he was taking much for granted by turning his back on her, but he sensed that she was a good being. He almost laughed out loud at that contradiction. A good demon... but he had seen stranger things in life and he believed in his Queen Nimue who now carried the name Tsubaki on Earth. His Queen would never bring anything vile or evil into Avalon. She would never put her people at risk. Never! Unlike Galahad she placed the needs of her people above her own, until just about 30 years ago when she went to Earth and did not return until now. Travelling to Earth and undertaking what she called divine work was not unusual but this time Galahad was left ruling the people for an entire generation! She had ordained Gawain as the Captain of the Guard with the knowledge that he would keep a reign on the young Reagent, but when she did not return for more so many years people were beginning to wonder what happened. Did their Goddess desert them? Did she find something better on Earth to occupy her time?

Galahad was young and charismatic and he cultivated attention, love and loyalty from the people. He had won them over by mingling with them freely. That was something that Tsubaki was unable to do. She was so powerful that although she was benevolent and loving and allowed her people to ask for nothing, she was also feared. She was a Goddess to them and was therefore not one of them, but apart from them. So while she was revered and almost worshipped from afar, Galahad could be touched, looked upon and talked to. He was human like them, born of them, understood them and so he was one of them and he was a fair and just ruler, or at least appeared to be. Gawain was not so easily fooled though. He would not be blinded to a Reagent who wanted to reinstate a monarchy rule over a democratic system which the Queen had implemented. She was the most powerful being in Avalon, but instead of abusing that position, was committed to hearing all ideas and allowed voting on everything, just like her most beloved knight, King Arthur had done on Earth so many centuries ago.

Chosen by God in Earth's 6th century to be the leader of the Britains and the vanquisher of the Saxons invaders, Arthur Pendragon, would become the most famous and legendary King who ever lived. He wielded Excalibur, a sword Nimue's mother, the Lady of the Lake, had given to him until the day he died. His soul left the Earth and entered Avalon's Hall of Souls after which he was allowed to reside as a citizen of Avalon, but now he was back on Earth, reincarnated for another special purpose. Gawain was on his own now, but his uncle had taught him many things, so there was no doubt that he could bring this little coup de at to a close.

Within a few minutes they hurried through one corridor, turned right into another and came up to a wall. "Another hidden doorway?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes, but the switch is much more difficult to find." the man said. His words caused Eleanor's attention to be drawn back to the wall where his fingers were gently running across the bricks as if caressing something soft. She noticed now that although his fingers were thick and strong they were also very long and their movements along the wall were slow and elegant. She wondered absentmindedly if fingers that size which looked so strong and powerful could in fact be gentle and tender like their movements promised. Her thoughts went further still and now she found herself wondering if these qualities she was thinking of were also expressed throughout the man whose back was still turned to her. _Was he strong and powerful man but also gentle? He seemed like a just person…_

To answer her silent questions she took a really good look at him. In the haste of escaping and their need to free Hana and Vivi she did not even bother to observe his appearance except for his face which she recalled was much more handsome than other men's. She took the opportunity to look him over now. He was wearing a navy blue gambeson above which light chainmail armour lay making his already broad shoulders appear even broader. She allowed her gaze to sweep down his shoulders to his arms and forearms. He had folded the sleeves of his gambeson back over his chainmail so that his forearms were bare. They were thick, muscular and well defined. His legs were long and although she could not see them under his long tunic and armour, if his arms were any indication of the rest of him then she expected them to be powerfully built. He was tall, and she estimated that he was quite a few inches taller than 6 feet. _He is a large man… much bigger and stockier than Velten!_ She said to herself and then when she realized that she had just compared the knight to her former fiancée she admonished herself. _What the hell am I thinking now! I need to think about Hana and Vivi!_

She then saw him press against one brick, caress ten blocks following the first and then press against the one below that. He then skipped over a number of blocks and then pressed against a third one. She then realized that the three bricks were vertices of an equilateral triangle. Then block in the center of the triangle receded into the wall and on the left side of the space there was a key hole. Eleanor watched as the knight reached into his gambeson and retrieved a chain on which there was a key. Removing the key he inserted it into the key hole and turned. There was a click and then he pushed against the wall, but nothing happened. He tried again, heaving against the wall with all his strength, but "It has been so long since it was last opened that the wall has been fused in place with corrosion."

"Then allow me to try." Eleanor said.

"Milady…" he began to protest but she ignored him and placing herself between him and the wall she pushed against it. At first nothing happened and then there was a great scrapping noise and the wall started to be pushed away. When the opening was large enough to allow them to squeeze through she stopped and turned back to the knight who was watching her in wonder.

"Lady Eleanor… you…"

She said softly, "I am a demon, remember!" _Why the hell am I whispering?_

He hesitated before he spoke again not sure what to say. "Yes, but that does not make me any less ashamed." He looked away from her slightly.

_Is he blushing?_ She smiled for the first time since she met him. "There is no time for that now. You are human and I am demon that is all. Now take me to my friend!"

"Yes, of course."

They squeezed through and when Eleanor looked around she exclaimed, "We're outside? Where…"

"Lady Hana is imprisoned within the Reagent's private residence. It is about two kilometers to the east of this castle. This is his main castle where court is held, but where your friend awaits her faith is his personal home and I believe he wishes to have the wedding there."

"And where is Vivi?"

He explained, "The demon is kept in a special holding cell located about one kilometer to the southwest of this castle. It is a single tower which sits on a man built island in the middle of a deep moat in which alligators are kept. There is only one bridge and one spiral staircase in its center and both are heavily guarded. As Captain of the Guard I will have no trouble getting in but you will have to fly, which should be no trouble for you.

"So they split us up to make it more difficult to escape…" She fumed. "As if that is going to stop us from destroying their plans!"

Gawain smiled slightly at her passion and determination and said, "Come we will take my horse…" He did not get to finish his statement because Eleanor asked,

"Would it not be much faster if we flew?"

"What do _yo**ooooooou**_…!" His voice turned into a screech of panic as she wrapped her arms around his chest and torso and blurred into flight in an eastern direction. She always liked travelling fast and there were few others who were faster than her when she went at top speed. She forgot for a moment that she carried a human with her and so slowed down a bit. At the rate she was going it would be impossible for him to breathe. She registered how firm his body felt under her arms and hands. Even through the chainmail and his garments it felt like there was only a thin layer of skin stretched tautly over rock. Clearing her thoughts she concentrated on flying. There was only one castle in that direction at the distance he indicated so it was quite easy for her to locate the Reagent's home and in a couple of minutes she was hovering a hundred feet above it. Looking down she observed, "There are four guards on the top. What should we do?"

Half a minute past by and he still did not respond. He needed to recover from being in the arms of a demoness flying speeding through the air two hundred feet off the ground. But Eleanor did not want to wait, "Captain Knight!" she said in an exasperated tone.

Sir Gawain was rarely speechless but today this woman…, this demoness, made him forget how to put words together for the third time. When he heard her speak again he shook his head to jolt his thoughts and said, "Milady... I am sorry! But you could have given me some warning!" He intended to say it more forcefully, but his voice was small and shaky as he looked down at the ground that was so far away at the moment.

Eleanor sighed, "Sorry about that, but you need to tell me what we should do about the guards and where Hana is."

Forcing himself to look at her face he said, "I believe that Hana in on the top floor in the bedchamber next to the Reagent's."

Eleanor allowed a look of utter disgust to permeate her features. "Really?"

"But at the moment let us rid of the guards before we go to the Lady's window."

"Easily done!" Eleanor said and she sped down and alighted on its roof. There were a few moments in which the guards froze in shock and disbelief when they saw a woman with wings clutching onto their Captain. Using their surprise and confusion to her advantage, Eleanor depositing the knight where she landed, and immediately summoned a small version of her favourite mallet. She rushed over to one of the guards and before he even realized she was in front of him she flicked her wrist like she was playing tennis with a 5 kilogram racket, and she floored him. She then went to another, but he already had his sword drawn. She easily blocked his slashes and lunges and using her mallet she knocked it out of his hand. She then knocked him over the head with her weapon, rendering him unconscious as well. She turned to see that Gawain had already knocked out a third guard and was running after the last one who was moving towards the far corner. She flew over to him and caught him easily by the shoulder. She clamped down on him so hard that any more pressure would have broken his collar bone and then she punched him in the face and he too was out cold.

"Good work, Milady! He was about to raise the alarm!" Gawain came up to her and laughed. "I dare say that I am being a poor excuse of a knight. You seem to be doing all the work. Not really the damsel in distress we knights dream of!"

Eleanor blushed hotly at that. Indeed! She was no damsel in distress! Eleanor was in fact the loud demoness who was always unafraid to speak her mind, did not mind to offend other demons with the truth, quick to summon her mallet and always ready for a fight because she knew that she could take care of herself. She was independent and strong willed, noisy and destructive. She was never elegant and pretended to be all soft like the other demonesses. This was a deep regret of her Baron father since she was never as demure as she _should _be. She had a temper and preferred having conversations with demons rather than with their wives who usually only talked about things like other demonesses, shopping and children. She wanted to know about politics, history and economics and to make matters even worse she had a very deep tomboy streak. She loved climbing trees, putting her feet on tables and laughing raunchily when she heard something very funny. When was the last time she attended a party in a gown? So how could she be a damsel in distress? She was like an outcast among her sex. It was little wonder Velten never loved her. He always seemed interested in the extremely beautiful demonesses with soft voices, graceful dresses, slim lines and long legs.

Eleanor was medium height with pronounced curves, and of only average looks, or at least she thought so. So she had told herself a long time ago _"Fuck it! I am going to do whatever I want, however I want to! I am not going to be like other girls!" _And every time Velten cheated on her, her resolution increased. She did not want to be like all the other women. She knew she was very different from what a demoness of high birth was _supposed _to be like, but she was determined to remain that way since she really believed that one day Velten would tire of the princess-like demons and would eventually want something different. After more than 150 years she reluctantly conceded that maybe Velten would never change. However, there was no way she was going to make any changes now. Why pretend to be something else especially since she and Velten were over? Besides there was something very liberating about being yourself and if he did not like that then to Hell to him!

So she was no damsel in distress. How could she be when she was never in need of help? Well at least not until she was strapped down to a table and being molested by a nasty male… thing… _So you are a damsel in distress, then?_ Her own mind laughed at her. _Welcome to womanhood and yet you are still without a man. Even the human male thinks little of you! You will never realize what love is! Hahahaha!_ She backed away from the advancing knight and shook her head violently almost as if she could stop all these crazy thoughts if she moved her head vigorously. "You men are all the same!" she declared in a disgusted tone.

"Milady… I meant no disrespect!" he tried to apologize but Eleanor was not in the mood.

"Just tell me where Hana is! I want to get her out of here!"

Her angry and almost hurt expression told him that it was best to just do what she asked. Walking over to the eastern side of the castle he pointed at the center window and said, "This is the Reagent's room. Her room will be to the left. Here!" He indicated the window.

As soon as he did that Eleanor was airborne again and she floated down between the two windows so she would not be seen. Hovering there she carefully peeped into the window that was supposed to be Hana's. She looked through a gap between the draperies, but she could not see her friend. "Dammit!" Her first instinct was to break through the window with her mallet for she was not good at all this sneaking around business, but she could not risk being discovered. Then she decided to listen. Demons did have very sensitive hearing, so maybe she could hear if Hana was inside. Nothing… Utter silence. _What the fuck is going on here?_ She wondered to herself. _ I can't hear anything. Not even breathing?_ She then listened outside the Reagen't window but still nothing.

She flew back up to where the knight was waiting for her and told him what happened.

He thought for a minute and then evenly, he said, "Milady, please take me to the ground. I will enter the castle to see what is afoot."

"What is wrong?"

"Please, no time to explain. Just take me there." He indicated a spot on the western side of the castle. Eleanor became alarmed, but she did what he asked.

Putting himself between the door and Eleanor he stretched his hand behind him and moved it back three times to indicate to the demoness to get behind him. Sir Gawain then proceeded to open the side door, careful not to make any noise, but despite his best efforts it creaked. He peered around the opening to see if there was anyone there. He was in luck for there was no one there at the moment. Turning back to Eleanor he said, "Quickly, follow me!"

"What…" she began but he cut her off by saying roughly,

"Just do as I say! We have to act now!" His commanding tone made her obey him instantly, but it made her quite crossed. She never liked being talked to in that way, but for now she held her tongue.

He quickly but silently made his way across a corridor and into a large open room with Eleanor close behind him. Then suddenly there was a click on their right and they stopped still. Without warning Eleanor grabbed the knight and flew up to the ceiling. Within a second a door opened and voices could be heard. Looking down Eleanor and Gawain saw that it was two handmaidens. They were moving about in a hurried way to another door exiting the room. When the sound of their footsteps died away Eleanor came back to the ground and exhaled audibly in relief.

"Thank you, Milady. There was nowhere else to hide. You are a very quick thinker!" He sounded impressed. Eleanor smiled in response and she felt the earlier annoyance at the knight drain away. She was not usually complimented. Rather she was being told to be quiet, more elegant or less destructive and crude. They proceeded until they came to narrow room which was empty except for its center where there was a series of spiral staircases each of which lead to another floor. "Come, we have to get to the second floor."

Going up he then led her to the end of the corridor and he rapidly knocked on the door there. There was a moment of silence and then Eleanor could hear movement inside. The door opened to reveal a tall woman with long brown hair dressed in a simple baby blue gown. "Gawain!" she exclaimed before hugging him tightly.

"Lisette," He drew back from the woman and moved aside to reveal the demoness behind him. "we need your help."

"Come in, come in!" she said urgently.

When the door was locked behind them the woman named Lisette asked "You must know what is happening, Gawain. The Reagent has gone mad!"

"I knew that he had aspirations to become the King of Avalon, but forcing a woman to marry him is going too far! How dare he do this?" Gawain demanded angrily.

"Have you seen Lady Hana? When you see her you will understand."

Gawain was about to ask her what she meant when Eleanor interrupted the conversation asking desperately. "Where is she?"

"Oh, pardon my manners, Lisette." The knight apologized, "This is Lady Eleanor, she is Lady Hana's friend and very much wants to set her free."

Lisette gave her a pitying look and shook her head. "It is doubtless that you can rescue Lady Hana… The Reagent will not let her go!"

"I have my ways!" declared Eleanor.

"We must set her free and her lover too, Lisette." The resolution in Gawain's voice made Lisette look back at him.

"You mean that man who they say is a demon?" Lisette wanted to know. "Is this true? How can he be a demon? Or is it just propaganda being spread by the Reagent so that no one will question his motives. He says he wishes to save the girl! Such rubbish! By forcing her to marry him?"

"Yes, it is true!" Eleanor said. "His name is Vivi and they are very much in love with each other."

Lisette frowned. "This this so? I cannot believe it!"

"Lisette, enough of this!" Gawain said suddenly. "Please let Lady Eleanor stay here until I come back. I wish to speak to the Reagent."

"Well he will not see you now. He is getting ready for the wedding ceremony."

"But that is tonight, surely he can spare me a few minutes!"

"Oh, so you have not heard? He decided to have a very small ceremony this morning! It has already started!"

"What? Why did you not say that before?" Gawain sounded beyond annoyed. He moved towards the door.

"Gawain, what are you going to do? You can't take down all the guards in this castle by yourself!" Lisette warned him.

"So just leave things be and have a girl forced into marriage and let the demon die?"

"I realize that this is far from ideal, but this lover is a demon so maybe..."

"**Lisette!**" Gawain was appalled. "I am very surprised at you! The demon was the Queen's guest and therefore must not be a danger to humans. Furthermore, if he and the Lady are in love then I need no other justification for putting an end to this wedding. That stupid boy is asking for trouble and that is exactly what he will get!" Turning to Eleanor he said, "Come milady, we are going to retrieve Hana and then we will set Vivi free."

"Gawain! Why do you always put yourself out like this?" Lisette demanded. "You were always so blind with how things should be that you never see what is right in front of you!" She looked like she was about to shed tears.

"Lisette, I can only serve a Reagent who is deserving. I cannot let him sink this low!"

"So you rather get yourself killed or imprisoned?"

"Do you forget that Nimue will be on her way once she hears about this coup?" he asked her.

"Please do not say such! She cares not for us! She left for more than a generation and now you think she can just waltz back into here and be welcomed with open arms? Even your uncle abandoned…"

"**Lisette, say no more!**" Gawain roared. Softening his voice he says, "Eleanor let us go to your friend."

When they quitted the room he walked to the other side of the corridor to a window. Gawain opened it and jumped out landing neatly on the ground. Eleanor was on his heels and he went around the castle, past its eastern wing to a small stone chapel which only had a four small painted glass windows. "Keep close to me."

The two guards at the main doors stood in his path as he approached. "Get out of my way!" he commanded, but they did not heed. "I am your Captain and I command you to let me through."

"I am sorry Sir," one of them replied, "but we have strict orders to not allow you into the wedding ceremony."

Gawain drew his sword and said, "Do you really wish to fight me, soldier?"

The guards looked at each other and then parted to allow their Captain and his guest to advance. "The church door is locked from the inside.

"This will be difficult, but let me deal with this." As the guards looked on dumbstruck, Eleanor summoned her favourite large mallet and engulfed it in a blue flame. Holy places like churches needed extra power to break through. Making a great arc backwards with her arms, she swung the mallet forward on the church doors with such force that her feet momentarily left the ground. Still the doors did not give. She repeated her actions twice before the door began to crack. One more strike and the door broke open and about 10 shouting guards poured out. "I will deal with the guards!" she howled over the noise. "You get the Reagent."

Changing the mallet for a smaller one, she stood with legs apart and waited for her first victim. When she spread her wings behind her she realized that the guards hesitated in their advance. Realizing that they were afraid of her she then enveloped her entire body in a bright red flame and put on a wicked smile when she saw the look of fear in their eyes.

Gawain made his way to the church. He easily dispatched every guard who tried to stop him and so within just a few minutes of leaving Eleanor's side, he was entering the center aisle of the chapel. Directly in front of him he saw the Reagent dressed in all royal finery and to his left was a young woman dressed in a long, flowing white gown. He was holding her against him and Gawain heard him barking out orders. "Slay the demon!"

"**NO!"** The woman screamed. "You said that you would let Vivi live!"

Gawain looked in the direction they were facing. On right of the altar were four men dressed in black cloaks with hoods. Each of them was wearing black masks which covered all of the face except for the eyes. In the center of the four men was a man. This man was chained to the ground like some sort of wild animal and around his neck was a heavy wooden yoke through which both his hands were also pushed. His body crumpled under the weight of the yoke causing him to kneel while his head hung down heavily on the yolk the end of which touched the ground, propping him up. He was unconscious and he could see blood soaking through his shirt and pants. From his hands, down his fingers, more blood dripping unto the ground

The knight broke into a run. No matter what this man was, the girl was in love with him and he could not let this continue. He watched in horror, trying his best to reach the altar, as the four hooded men drew long broad swords from under their cloaks and aiming the weapons at the man's back pushed down with all their might. Gawain expected a sharp cry of pain from the chained man when the swords were plunged into his back but instead he heard an ear breaking scream from the girl as she screamed the man's name.

"**VIVI!**" But the man on the ground did not move. How could he? The swords entered his back went through his chest and belly and reached the floor. She broke away from the Reagent's hold as the men withdrew their swords from Vivi's body, and rushed over to her lover. He was bleeding profusely and pools of blood had started to form beneath him. Tears blurred Hana's vision and in a soft voice she called his name again as she gently stroke his face. Her mind was breaking but she forced herself to think logically. Swallowing heavily Hana steeled what was left of her devastated nerves and picked up Vivi's hand and tried for a pulse. _Nothing… Nothing… NOTHING! THERE IS NO PULSE! _

Frantic now, she tried to push him unto his back. She had to try to pump his chest to get his heart going. But the yolk was so heavy! She could think no more. She screamed out so loudly that the sound shattered every glass window of the chapel. Then suddenly, as tears flowed freely down her cheeks Hana cried out, **"You all will pay for this!"** Her body began to glow and then a blinding light was pushed out from around her into the surroundings like a huge surge of energy.

For almost 15 seconds wave upon of wave of energy was generated from Hana's body and the light she produced was so bright that everyone had to close their eyes against it. Eleanor had to take to the sky, for it was too much for her with their sharp nocturnal vision. The demoness looked down to see a dome of white light engulfing the area. When it finally subsided every guard was lying on the ground. Carefully she alighted on the ground where she was previously and realized that all the guards were dead. She ran into the chapel. She found Gawain collapsed on the aisle leading to the altar. She checked him quickly. He was still breathing. She then ran to the altar where she found Hana unconscious slumped over Vivi's body. Rushing over to her friends she looked for any sign of life… Her eyes filled with tears… Vivi and Hana… they were not breathing…

Crying now, Eleanor demanded angrily, "Is _this_ what love is?"


	31. Transfer of Life

It has been a long time, hasn't it? My life has been more than full in the last few months; sometimes happy, sometimes really stressful, sometimes sad, but always busy! I have changed my geographic location, again! I am in another country. Sorry I took so long to update but I mean to finish this story. Thank you for understanding and thank you for your patience.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters therein.

**Chapter 31: Transfer of Life**

Hana opened her eyes carefully. Her surroundings were bathed in light and she needed to guard against the glare. She felt groggy like she had been asleep too long and when she tried to stretch some of her lethargy out of her body, she realized that she was aching all over. Her first thoughts were of Vivi. Just a few seconds ago he was holding her against him, kissing her and telling her how much he loved her. Then her latest memories crashed into her. In fact, Vivi was not there next to her and what she had just experienced was nothing more than a dream…a dream which turned into a nightmare because Vivi was dead. Her chest felt tight as pain lanced through her heart and she shut her eyes against the offending sunshine streaming through her windows. How dare the sunlight be so warm and bright as the world goes on like nothing had happened? Her lover was dead and she wished she was too. Turning over she began crying into her pillow.

_Feverishly Eleanor looked around her. She tried to think of what to do, but how could she when her closest friends were lying dead in front of her? Vivi, yoked like an animal in a pool of his own blood and Hana, laying next to him in a once white dress now stained red. A little to the left were four men collapsed on the floor, their swords resting besides hands which once held them. Lastly the Reagent dressed in royal finery… dressed for his wedding day which ironically had now become his funeral. His body was frozen in the state in which he died. A silent scream etched unto his face with one of his arms covering his eyes just like when he attempted to block out the brilliant light which radiated from Hana's body._

_Sobbing uncontrollably now Eleanor asked out loud, "Why? Why... Why this way?" Then the sound of a voice made Eleanor tear her attention away from her friends towards the broken chapel doors._

_"Ayame!" Barely three seconds went past before she saw both Ayame and Tsubaki running along the centre aisle towards her. She should have been relieved to see them, but instead anger roared through her. When they drew near to Vivi and Hana her rage broke loose._

_"What are you doing?" Eleanor demanded. "Don't touch them!" She moved in between them and her friends._

_"Eleanor, move!" Tsubaki said in a stern voice. "We must help them now!"_

_"Help them?" Eleanor ignored Tsubaki's request. "They are dead! Where were you? Why weren't you there when the Reagent..."_

_Her words were cut off as Ayame grabbed her and pulled her away from Vivi and Hana. "If you want to save your friends, move aside!" she commanded._

_As soon as Eleanor was out of the way Tsubaki rushed to Hana and placing her hands above the young woman's heart, she whispered, "Act of quickening."_

_Hurriedly Ayame returned to where Vivi was lying and kneeling down she placed downturned palms on Vivi's chest and uttered "Promise of life."_

_Eleanor watched on nervously as each woman recited some sort of prayer. Their look of concentration and the sweat which beaded on their faces told her that they were toiling under great difficulty. Their words became feverish and their breaths became shorter and more rapid. With each passing second Eleanor became increasingly anxious as the feeling of utter helplessness overwhelmed her. It seemed like an eternity and then suddenly she saw Hana's hand move slightly. Did I imagine that? She asked herself. Another minute went by and Hana groaned a little as she momentarily opened her eyes, but only to slip back into a deep sleep._

_Breathing out heavily, Tsubaki moved away from Hana and turned towards Vivi._

_"Hana…" Eleanor said between tears. "Is she…?"_

_Tsubaki answered before she finished her question. "She used too much of her power and the shock to her body stopped her heart. She should recover. But Vivi…" she trailed off._

_Eleanor prayed to Lucifer that like Hana, Vivi too would be revived, but this became doubtful as seconds passed by. After another minute of reciting the prayers, Ayame finally said breathlessly, "I can't bring him back…"_

_"No!" Eleanor gasped._

_Tsubaki, kneeling down at Ayame's side said, "Please use me."_

_"That is too risky!" responded the healer. She took deep breaths before she could continue for she was already exhausted from her efforts to revive the demon lord. "We have already lost the Reagent today; do you think that Avalon could lose you too?"_

_"That is of no consequence. Do as I ask!" Tsubaki commanded._

_Breathing out heavily Ayame replies, "Yes, my Queen." She paused and offering her left hand to the Water Witch, she said, "Please give me your right hand and place your left hand over Vivi's heart. When Tsubaki did as was asked, Ayame also placed her right hand on Vivi's heart so that a closed circuit was formed. She then said, "Transfer of Life."_

_This time no prayer was recited. Instead something like sparks of lightning or electricity began surrounding Tsubaki which then travelled down her arms to Ayame's and down to where their hands lay on Vivi's chest. It took a little over a minute but in that small time Eleanor watched in awe as Vivi's wounds began to close._

_While Tsubaki's body was being drained of its life force she experienced extreme pain everywhere at once, but she tolerated it. She locked her jaws to prevent a scream which was fighting to get out. She would endure it all. She had to save Vivi for together with Hana they were destined to save the world from Armageddon. Then suddenly her body gave out and she slumped forward._

Hana felt a hand caress the back of her head. "Leave me alone!" she cried out, not bothering to look around.

"Hana,"

The woman felt like her heart was ripped away from her breasts. That voice sounded like her lover's. "Go away and leave me alone! Stop haunting my dreams!"

Then she felt someone sit at her side. She turned around angrily to oppose the apparition ready to curse it away but the words failed her as she came face to face with Vivi. She cried his name out loudly and fell into his open arms. "I thought you were dead. Oh Vivi… Vivi, Vivi!"

"Hana…" was all he could manage before grabbing her face between strong hands, kissing her with a hunger so fierce that he could not relinquish her lips for minute upon minute. They exchanged words of love and tears of joy and finally just held each other.

"I thought you died!" Hana said after some time. "I… I…" she didn't know how to describe what she felt at that moment.

"Hush, my flower. I am here now." He comforted her.

"But how? What happened?" she wanted to know.

"When they stabbed me on the alter I felt my life trickling away until all I could see was endless darkness. After some time I heard someone calling my name and when I turned towards the sound a great light enveloped me and I saw Tsubaki standing there, asking me to take her hand. The next thing I remember was waking up in my room three days ago."

"Three days?" Hana asked. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Six days."

"Six? Where is Tsubaki now? What about Eleanor and Velten?"

"Eleanor and Velten are alright but Tsubaki gave me most of her life force to revive me. She is still unconscious. She is in a coma and we don't know if she will recover."

Again sorry for the wait!


	32. Demon Scapegoats

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hana to Akuma or any of the characters within.

**Author Notes:** Been busy, busy, real busy, and extremely busy. So sorry for the wait and don't kill me. **.** I will finish this story, I just don't know when! But some good news... I am already working on the next chapter. Okay enough of that. ENJOY:

**Chapter 32: Demon Scapegoats **

"A... a coma?" Shocked, it took her a few moments before Hana could ask, "What happened?"

"Shhh... my little flower." He comforted her. Vivi did not want Hana knowing what had really happened... at least, not yet. She had just awakened from a six day coma and he wanted to protect her from the fact that she had been responsible for the deaths of the Reagent and 14 of his soldiers. Vivi shared the opinion that Galahad and his cronies deserved what they got, but Hana's kind and loving nature would make it difficult for her to forgive herself. Besides, that truth was difficult enough for him to believe. Never could he have imagined that Hana's powers could be so terribly deadly. It shocked him that a mere human female, as kind and gentle as Hana, would be able to put so many to death singlehandedly and so quickly.

_Just what was Hana's true nature and what exactly was her role in this world?_ Vivi had asked himself these questions numerous times over the last few days. Eleanor had told him what had happened, but the facts raised more questions than they answered and the only person in Avalon who could supply the information he required was in a coma. To make matters worse, the only other person who may be informed about Hana's powers and abilities was that annoying brat Momo, but he was at home. Vivi sighed inwardly... Home. They still hadn't figured out how to get back to Earth...

Why in the world did he agree to that witch's stupid idea of training Hana in Avalon? Look at what had happened. Had he not sworn to Hana and to himself that he would never again would he allow her to be danger again? Vivi raked frustrated fingers through his dark hair which had grown a little longer than usual. He also needed a haircut. The last thing he needed was that idiot Velten making fun by asking him some stupid question like "Are you trying to look like Moritz?" He could almost hear the other demon laughing wildly at him.

Well maybe not, Velten had become quite sullen and Eleanor was quite depressed. He learned from Velten that Eleanor broke off their engagement. Vivi had always wondered what had taken the demoness so long to do just that. _Did she like punishing herself or something?_ Anyway, was this not what Velten wanted? Why was he suddenly such a wet blanket? Of course both he and Eleanor were quite worried about Hana, but Velten always had the ability to lighten the mood somehow no matter the occasion. He always saw the humour in everything even when to every other sentient being there was none. Vivi groaned inwardly. _Velten really is an idioit!_

"Vivi," Hana gripped into his sleeve knocking him out of his thoughts. "please tell me what happened." She swallowed nervously and added, "Did... did I do something?"

Her eyes looked haunted, almost sorrowful and Vivi realized that she knew _something_. But his determination to protect her even from herself was not to be shaken. "Let us talk about that later, my flower." Vivi evaded the inevitable for a bit. "You must be hungry, and the others would want to know that you are now awake." Vivi left to inform the rest of the band of friends that Hana had regained consciousness but also to inform them not to answer any of her questions about the Reagent at least for now.

Eleanor bust into the room two minutes after Vivi left Hana. After seeing Hana lie unconscious for days, Eleanor's relief and happiness were so intense that she couldn't bring herself to speak. All she could do was hug the girl tightly as tears welled up.

"Eleanor!" Hana's voice was muffled but the demoness heard her sharp sniff and knew that like her Hana was in tears. "I am so glad that you're safe too!" When Eleanor finally loosened her grip Hana looked behind Eleanor as she wiped her tears away and saw Velten sitting at the foot of her bed. Smiling at him she said, "Oh, Velten! I'm so glad that you are okay too!" Hana held out her hand to him and sheepishly but smiling he approached her and Eleanor. Taking the offered hand he gave it a hearty squeeze. Her wide smile faltered a little when she saw his expression but then she asked, "Umm... where's Gilbert-dono?"

***8*8*8*8*8*8***

In the six days in which Hana slept recovering, Avanon was thrown into a state of anarchy. With its Reagent dead and the Queen in a coma, its residents, although generally peaceful and law abiding, were becoming increasingly restless and troubled as the fear and anxiety was rising. Like the Queen, who produced no heir, the Regent also had no successor.

On that very afternoon when Avalon lost both of them, an emergency meeting was held by the Imperial Tier of the Governing Assembly. Comprising of just 4 of Avalon's 24 Senators and 3 of the 20 Royal Knights, this group now held sovereign power over the whole of Avalon. They had the responsibility of appointing an Interim Head of State but this would have to wait for, at the moment, things were too dire. They needed to act now before rioting and upheaval broke out.

The "intruders" found in the chapel had been taken into custody. The able ones were questioned and the injured, in spite of being the prime suspects in an ensuing investigation, were being cared for, under guard of course. The man, or rather the demon, Velten had told investigators that the Reagent had laid siege to the Queen's castle with the intention of doing away with Nimue. He then recounted all that he had witnessed. Understandably the Imperial Tier was reluctant to take his word for anything and so Ayame and Sir Gawain, who were also in custody, were then called before them to inform them of what they knew.

So they learned of the Queen's reason for brining demons and a human into Avalon, the Reagent's coup d'état and forced marriage attempt, the cause of the soldier's death and why the Queen chose to give away her life force to save a human and her lover. Ayame had much difficulty assuring them that these guests were in fact not the enemy, but in the end they listened once she began telling them about what Queen Nimue had foreseen: Armageddon was coming and it was Vivi's and Hana's destiny to protect the world from it. Their Queen's gift of prophecy was legendary for it was never known to be wrong and consequently, despite lingering doubts, the members of the Assembly were reluctant to question what Ayame conveyed. When she was ushered out, the Tier were left to deliberate over what should be done next. So Sir Kay, the Royal Seneschal, made an official public announcement:

"**Two evenings ago demons invaded Avanon with the purpose of killing Queen Nimue and bewitching her people while laying waste to our lands. Tonight it is my grievous duty to inform you, the people of Avanon, that in the battle which ensued in defence of our state, The Regent Galahad along with over a dozen of his guards were killed and our Queen Nimue was seriously injured. While most of the demon trespassers have been killed while facing our great Queen, it is unknown when the she will awake from her comatose state. The remaining evil creatures are being hunted, as I speak, for execution. Investigations are ongoing..."**

A myriad of questions were asked at the public announcement. "_How did demons find their way into Avalon? How do we know all the demons are dead? Where are the bodies? How can the safety of the people be insured?"_ Sir Kay then informed the public that the demons had forced their way into Avanon and that the bodies of the demons were cremated to ensure that all traces were eradicated. He went on to say that an Interim Head of State would be appointed shortly. He then refused any further questions and brought the meeting to a close.

Sir Gawain could not believe what he was hearing. So the Imperial Tier was blaming Lady Eleanor and her friends for all that had happened! He clenched his fists and had to lock his jaw against a cry of outrage in Main Square where he stood listening to these lies with hundreds of others. How could Sir Kay, a man he respected and admired as not only a Knight senior to him, but almost like an uncle utter such untruths? Disgusted, he turned away to push his way through the crowd listening to their gasps and cries which told of their fright and bewilderment. _Why was the Executive Tier deceiving the people when he and Ayame told them all that had happened? _He with fury, he briskly made his way to Knight Quarters where he would be sure to find at least one of the Imperial Royal Knights. _How could Kay, Bedivere and even Lucan be privy to this lunacy and not stop it?_ He wondered.

Knight Quarters was an annex of Avalon's capital city in which, as the name implied, was the home of the Royal Knights, built to provide them with a private haven and place of relaxation, it was a self contained settlement in which all activities and businesses were owned and operated by the knights. The houses and roads were robustly built and very well maintained. Sir Gawain rode on like a man possessed. He did not even look upon his own house as his horse, Duchess, galloped passed. In this state of emergency, there would be guards posted outside the homes of the members of the Imperial Tier, but he hoped that his position of being Captain of the Reagent Guard would grant him the right of admission without trouble.

As expected he was stopped at the front gate of Sir Lucan's premises, but he was allowed through. He barely noticed the attendant who took his horse as he hastily made his way to the front door of the lavish home. Usually he would come here in high spirits to share dinner and pass the rest of the evening drinking, playing cards or making merry, but not this time. Lucan, like Kay and Bedivere, although senior in both the number of years serving Avalon and in their held stations, were not only his friends but also like older brothers. They had known him since he was a lad and it was their influence, especially Sir Lucan's, which instrumental in Gawain's rise to knighthood. Later, their support and approval sealed his Captaincy of the Guard. But tonight, he was far from happy to see Sir Lucan who came out of his study to meet his late night visitor. Gawain's voice betrayed how livid he was. Sir Lucan's "Gawain,..." was tersely cut off by Gawain demanding,

"What is the meaning of this?"

This was no surprise to Lucan. Gawain had been an honest, idealistic boy who grew up to be one of the most trustworthy, just and stalwart men he had ever had the privilege to know. "I take it that you heard the public announcement tonight?" Sir Lucan said in a calm but questioning tone.

"What do you think? Gawain replied angrily.

The other smiled slightly. The man who burst into his living room could also be too forthright at times. "We had to do it this way, Gawain."

"What?" Gawain was incredulous. "You inform the public by deceiving them? With glaring eyes he accused, "Why Lucan? How could you, Kay and Bedivere allow this to happen? How could you all lie like that so openly to everyone? Was it not you three who taught me what honour was?"

"Gawain, please calm down." Sir Lucan's voice held a commanding edge. "You, my boy, could never understand politics. It can be too fraudulent for your mind. Come," he gestured towards the study he just quitted, "let us talk about this."

Lucan explained that by the end the emergency meeting, although the Imperial Tier had accepted Ayame's and his testimonies, they decided that her story of world destruction and its unlikely saviours was to be withheld from the rest of the Governing Assembly and, of course, the general public. Nevertheless, the populace had to be notified of the Reagent's demise, the Queen's sudden illness and the deaths of more than a dozen soldiers. Next they needed to quell the rumours, which were spreading like wildfire, of demons and other evil creatures entering and running amok through Avalon. Of course everyone who heard the rumours linked the uncanny and unprecedented appearance of demons to the recent calamities.

As unfortunate as that was, the Avalonians were to be protected from the truth for they had already lost enough. This was not the time for them to become disillusioned about or question the honour and righteousness of their Queen or Reagent, or the stability of their country. So implicating the recent visitors had become necessary because the Queen's castle staff, as well as a few members of the deceased Reagent's household, were aware that Tsubaki's recent guests were demons.

"What else could we, the Tier do? Who would believe the story as it truly unfolded? He asked Gawain. "This was the best course of action."

"You mean the _**easiest**_ course of action." Gawain rose for his chair.

"Like I said, politics were not for you." Lucan said gravely. "If it was you could have easily become Reagent and that would have profited Avalon so much more, but the Governing Assembly loved Galahad. He had a silver tongue whereas you were always too candid. While his words were soothing and cunning, your forthrightness, although truthful, bloodied and hurt men's prides."

Gawain made no reply to this. He did not want to admit it out loud but Lucan was right. Bidding the older man goodnight he started making his way home. A deep feeling of disappointment suddenly inundated him as he walked home, leading Duchess behind him. His image of the honourable men, who he looked up to, was tarnished. Maybe shattered. In the haste that was necessary to bring order to Avalon, maybe the Imperial Tier had done all they could. After all, they did not have enough time to create a better plan but yet he could not shake this sinking feeling which gripped his heart. He had always been such a diligent knight, upholding pristine ideals for the sake of Avalon, and to see lies permeating it at its deepest level was too much!

As he always did when his mind was unsettled, his left hand reached for the amulet which hung from a chain around his neck. It was a large indigo coloured gem which was cut and hollowed out to form a vial and cap. Inside, some special liquid was kept. It had been a gift given to him by the Queen who had instructed him to always wear it for protection. It seemed like she was right since he was the only person in or surrounding the chapel to survive the onslaught of Lady Hana's powers. He thought about what had happened.

_He had awakened to __Ayame's beautiful face marred by tears streaming down her cheeks. "Lady Ayame...?" he asked as he quickly got up to his feet ready for battle. He looked around himself in disbelief. When he regained his voice and asked what had happened, Ayame obliged. She had barely finished her explanations when they heard someone asking them to "Quietly surrender and slowly exit the chapel." _

_Gawain recognized that voice, it belonged to Sir Bedivere. One of the Upper Tier Knights, the Marshal of the Queen's Court, and also trusted friend. Gawain was the first to come out and asked for a private audience with Bedivere who granted it. The Captain of the Guard asked that the survivors not be treated unfairly and asked that he, Bedivere, would personally ensure their safety, regardless of what he and his men found in the chapel. _

"_I know this is too much to ask, Bedivere, but I will explain it all to you, later." Gawain said. The other man grew suspicious at the requests, but his lifelong friendship and trust of Gawain compelled him to give his word that no harm would come to the others._

"_Gawain, I will grant you this, but you will also be taken into custody."_

"_Yes, I know." _

_Bedivere signalled for one his men to come over and said to him, "Take Sir Gawain to the debriefing room and await further orders." _

_When the Marshal finished his questions, Gawain asked what had happened to Lady Eleanor and her friends. He learned that the injured had been taken to be healed under maximum security guard and that Ladies Eleanor and Ayame and a man named Velten were incarcerated. Later, Gawain's presence was requested before an audience of the Imperial Tier in Assembly Hall and in a sort of court room setting, he, Ayame, Lisette, and members of the Queen's staff were questioned so a complete picture of what had happened on that day and the day before was compiled. _

Gawain arrived home with deeply knitted brows and a dark scowl. Making the Queen's innocent visitors the scapegoats was unforgivable! The Reagent had committed serious crimes and, in his opinion, all should be made aware of them, but Gawain also could not deny the fact that Lady Hana had ended the lives of 14 soldiers. Didn't she also need to be punished? But she was driven to it, was she not? Ayame did say that she was unable to control her powers, right? So maybe she should have been exonerated, but that still didn't explain to the families of the soldiers why their sons, husbands and brothers were dead.

The people of Avalon would want justice... they would want blood. Gawain knew that Lady Eleanor and her friends were in grave danger. To appease the populace, there were those within the Government who would gladly openly persecute those suspected, but he had already made up his mind that the Queen's guests should suffer no more harm. He could not stop thinking of the sight before being knocked unconscious. The demon called Vivi chained like an animal and being put to death. He also could not forget the time he spent with Lady Eleanor, though brief, he knew that she and her friends must be saved. He had to get them out of Avalon, but how? His thoughts kept him up until the early hours in the morning when he drifted off to a fretful sleep in which he met a beautiful dark haired demoness crying for him to help her.

Sunlight shone across his eyelids awaking him. Gawain felt groggy and grumpy. He slowly sat up to rub his eyes sleepily as vestiges of his dream surfaced in his mind. "Eleanor..." he breathed out. Sighing heavily he got up to the morning business and started thinking about a way to get the visitors back to their home.


	33. Changes

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hana to Akuma or any characters therein.

**HAPPY NEW YEAR! **

**Chapter 33: Changes**

In this state of emergency, the Gateway was closed indefinitely and heavily guarded at all times. Avalon, being a spiritually protected place, also prevented the demons from opening portals to their home world. Almost a week had gone past and things were beginning to calm down a bit. Word was secretly sent to Gawain this morning that Lady Hana had regained consciousness. Now he could risk getting her and her friends out of Avalon.

Much to his chagrin Gawain was named the Interim Head of State. He didn't want to become the Imperial Tier's little puppet but he accepted the position because he would be informed of what the government was up to and also because it gave him freedom of movement. Nowhere was beyond his access including the safe house the demons and Lady Hana were being kept, allowing him to keep a close watch on them.

The afternoon wore on and Gawain became restless with was supposedly engaged in purging Avalon of any remnant evil, but since there was no such thing he decided to get away for a bit. Quitting his office in Assembly Hall, he hurriedly made his way down to the stables and deftly saddled his horse. As always before he mounted he patted the sides of her face and spoke to her, "Duchess, take us swiftly, take us safely."

Duchess, his constant companion for the last six years was a Friesan horse which stood an impressive 15 and a half hands and despite her large size, ran gracefully and quite quickly. Gawain would curry her black hair until it gleamed, taking extra care with her long, thick mane and tail which hung in waves. He carefully trimmed the silky hairs on her lower legs but left them long, taking pride in making her look like royalty. Sir Kay would always tease him about how much time he would spend caring for her. According to Lucan and Bedivere if he spent half of that time and effort courting women he would be the most sought after lover in Avalon. Gawain was no saint and he did have a few affairs with the fairer sex, but he had yet to find someone who could really capture his heart.

He had yet to make his daily visit to the Queen's Castle to look in on Nimue. He knew word would be sent to him immediately if there was any change but he still wanted to be at his Queen's side as much as possible. As he rode there he thought of Lady Eleanor. In fact, in the last week, he found himself thinking of her several times a day. Although he had spent just over two hours with her on that dreadful day and had only seen her once since then, the impression she gave him lasted far beyond that.

Not only did he find her physically attractive, but she was strong-willed, outspoken, courageous and fiercely protective of her friends. He laughed to himself when he recalled the way she zipped through the air with him in her arms like he weighed no more than a small puppy. It was a frightening experience when it was happening, but now the memory amused him. He thought about her swinging her mallet while fighting, and opening the secret door he could not even budge. He then remembered her sensuous body. He did glimpse it before he had placed his cloak over her when he pulled the soldier off her and when she flew up to the ceiling...

Gawain groaned. "I need to stop thinking of her like this!" He knew it was wrong for it would only lead to heartbreak. She was a demoness and he was a human of Avalon. Very soon she would return to her world and he must stay here. Allowing himself to think about her as a woman was stupid and yet he could hardly stop himself.

After two days of blaming herself and crying her heart out, Hana sat looking aimlessly out of a window. Sir Gawain had arranged for her and her friends to move to a hideout located in the mountainous region a few kilometres west of the Queen's castle. She pleaded with Vivi to tell her everything and eventually he gave in. He told her that it was not her fault and he also made it clear that the Reagent and his followers got what they deserved but Hana was beside herself. After the initial shock wore off Hana could not be comforted. Vivi grew ever so more furious with the red haired witch and then turned the anger on himself for being stupid enough for listening to her.

Hana badly wanted to see Tsubaki but she was not allowed to leave the cottage. She still could not believe that she had been responsible for the deaths of 14 soldiers and the Reagent. She remembered Vivi being stabbed and rushing to his side. The pain she felt at the thought of him dying filled her with such a sorrow and rage that this too was unforgettable but after that her mind was completely blank. The next thing she could recollect was waking up in a strange room and then seeing Vivi alive and well.

She should be happy that Vivi returned to her in good health but how could she when so many were dead at her hands and Tsubaki's was comatose? Ayame and other healers were doing all they could for the Queen, but still she did not regain consciousness. _Why did Tsubaki have to sacrifice her life for mine and Vivi's? How could I be as powerful as they say and yet I needed to be rescued?_ _I need to get stronger and I need to learn to control my powers! I need to be able to protect myself and my friends. Why did it have to be like this? Why did so many have to die? I killed those men! If only I we did not come here! Oh Vivi! What if I really lost you?_

Thoughts like these plagued her mind since she learned what happened as Hana berated herself over and over again. Now after two days of depression and self revulsion Hana could feel that a change in her self-perception. When she had first met Vivi her safe, usual life began to change drastically, but still she simply resigning herself to just follow along, allowing Vivi to make all her major decisions for her. Like a boat without a chartered destination riding on whatever current he created beneath. But now that she was responsible for multiple deaths and her best friend's injury, she needed to take control of her life and meet her destiny head on.

She looked at her faint reflection in the window pane and saw that she did not recognize herself anymore. She still looked like Hana, and yet she was becoming a completely different person. Most importantly, she needed to start believing in herself. No longer could she afford to view herself as a weak, useless human because if she continued like that then Tsubaki's sacrifice would be for nothing. She was not sure how she would transform herself to the person who would save the world from destruction, but she had Vivi's support and that of her friends and so she would certainly try!

Vivi could barely stand being in this little cottage. He wondered how he survived here over the past few days. He couldn't care less about Avalon's State of Emergency but since Sir Gawain informed Eleanor of the closure of the Gateway and the presence of guards, the demons decided not to risk forcing their way out because they did not want anyone else to get hurt. In addition, Hana was too worried about Tsubaki's condition to budge. So Vivi stayed and watched over her and the rest of their little band of friends. Vivi sighed heavily. At least Gawain kept the cottage fully stocked with everything they needed. _Too bad he couldn't get Toni over here. _Vivi thought_._

Suddenly Vivi felt a familiar presence. As much as he hated going outside in the daylight he exited the cottage to meet the approaching answer to one at least one of his prayers. This was exactly what he needed a demon butler. Vivi almost smirked at his one little shred of good fortune until he got a look at Gilbert.

No one would believe it possible but Gilbert looked shabby and unkempt. His clothing was torn and dirtied, his hair tousled and tangled. Gone was the demon's mask like face and expressionless eyes. He wore a heavy scowl and he looked exhausted. Barely acknowledging Vivi with a faint nod, he asked evenly, "May I enter?"

Vivi would normally bite out something like "Do what you want!" But he was so taken aback by Gilbert's appearance that he simply said, "Yes."

Once Lucifer's butler scrubbed himself clean, dressed and combed his hair, he spent all day doing what he did best: running a household. He prepared and served the meals, did the laundry and cleaned the safe house. Not once did he speak unless it was absolutely necessary and even then his sentences comprised of one or two words. No one asked him anything. It was apparent that what had happened affected Gilbert worse of all but the others could do nothing for him except give him space.

As for Eleanor and Velten, they had very little interaction. Velten spent his days lounging or sleeping while Eleanor would help Gilbert, spend time with Hana or explore the nearby vicinity of the cottage. Maybe this really marked the end of their relationship. Everyone in the Demon World knew that Velten had treated Eleanor abominably and finally it seemed like Eleanor realized that she deserved better. She may be boisterous and sometimes quite unladylike, but she always knew what she wanted and fought hard for it. Too bad she fell for a cad, but like all other demonesses and women alike she dreamed of finding love someday. Real old-fashioned love where she would be properly romanced and swept off her feet! She deserved that, didn't she?

She spent her afternoons taking solitary walks. She needed time away from everyone so she could think and also to vent her emotions in private. She too was worried about Tsubaki but she knew that she should go home but she was not ready to face the Demon World yet. She would have to officially announce the end of her engagement and her father would with haste arrange another betrothal and that was the last thing she needed.

She remembered the first time she had caught Velten cheating on her. Oh! That pained her deeply in her heart! But she pushed it aside and told him promptly that he should not do it. But then how many times did he repeat that transgression? How many times did she suffer the humiliation of others laughing and gossiping behind her back? How many times did she fool herself into thinking that one day Velten would look at her as a desirable woman? How many times? **How many times?** She was fed up of it all.

She wanted more from a man, from love, from life... but she felt so tired, exhausted. Every time she saw or heard about Velten with another woman her self esteem was battered. Every time she tried to see him and he avoided her, her confidence was damaged. Every time she saw a happy couple she longed for Velten to return her love and she was crushed a little more inside. She had loved Velten for practically all her life and all she got for it was a broken heart and a depreciated self image. When was the last time she felt desired or loved? Did she ever?

Suddenly her thoughts conjured up a masculine face. She remembered how he saved her and she blushed when she remembered how tall and broad he was and how hard his body felt beneath her fingers. She smiled a little when she recalled him calling her beautiful. She knew that he said that to be nice, but still it pleased her. She shook her head and asked aloud in disgust, "What the hell am I thinking!"

At the sound of "Milady...?" she jolted. Turning around she came face to face with the man she was thinking of. Leading a beautiful black horse, Gawain approached. Unable to reply Eleanor swallowed hard trying her best to clear the lump in her throat which had lodged itself there. Even in casual clothing he was as handsome and strongly built as she remembered. Her cheeks beamed crimson.

"What has happened, Lady Eleanor?" he asked in a concerned voice. "Why are you out here? You should not venture out of the cottage. If someone were to find you..." He stood before her.

His proximity made her feel uncomfortable and so looking away from him she replied, "I know... I know! But I just needed some time alone."

"Then I shall leave you to your thoughts." He said softly.

Was that disappointment she heard in his voice? He made to go around her when she said, "No, please." Shyly she glanced up at him and added, "Please. Don't go."

"You wish me to stay with you?" he asked in his deep voice, getting close to her again.

His brightened tone and nearness made her feel even more embarrassed. Awkwardly she pulled away and bit and resumed walking. "What brings you here, Sir Gawain?"

He walked along with her, "I got word that Lady Hana had woken up. Is she and the others well?"

His voice was more casual now and Eleanor wondered if she had imagined the warm tone he used just seconds before. "Yes, we are doing fine." She stopped walking abruptly and turning to him said, "Thank you for everything you have done. I know it is a great inconvenience to you and your friends to keep us hidden away and safe, but you even provided everything that we need." She paused and then looking away again she added, "How can I repay you?"

Gawain felt somewhat uncomfortable receiving her gratitude. His government had made her and her friends into scapegoats, wrongfully blaming them for what had happened and he went along with it. At all costs he wanted to keep them, especially Eleanor, from discovering the truth at least until he figured out how to smuggle them out of Avalon. Deceiving her made him feel unworthy of her thanks and although he had saved them because it was the just thing to do he replied, "There is no need to feel indebted to me, Milady. You were guests and friends of my Queen and were treated so cruelly and abominably by Galahad. It is my duty to protect you and your comrades."

"I...I see." Eleanor whispered. _So it was nothing more than duty? _she thought to herself. His response made her feel disenchanted. Reprimanding herself for feeling like that she turned her attention away from him towards his horse. "What a beautiful creature." She carefully extended her hand and gently stroked the horse's mane.

"Her name is Duchess." Gawain said.

"Her name suits her!" Eleanor smiled.

"Lady Eleanor, have you ever ridden a horse?" He should have returned to Assembly Hall when he left the Queen's residence, but against his better judgement, he decided to visit Eleanor. He knew he should not become attracted to her but part, the greater part of him, really wanted to spend time with her.

"No, I haven't." was her reply, "Why do you ask?"

"I would like to repay you for taking me flying," He smiled charmingly. "but since I don't have wings, the only thing I could do is take you horseback riding."

She laughed nervously, putting up her hands in front of her "I.. . urgh... I don't think..."

He leaned closer to her, "Please, Milady," he said in an almost intimate tone, "it would honour me greatly if you would accompany me riding."

"But you only have one horse." She protested.

"It would be your first time and so naturally you cannot ride alone."

"Will..." she licked her lips which had suddenly become dry. "will Duchess be alright with both of us? I mean..."

"Yes, of course she will be fine. Now! Shall we?" Gawain's voice was a little excited.

Eleanor was unsure, but she wanted to get away from her depressing thoughts, and there was no one better to do so with than him. "Y...yes, alright!"

Gawain mounted and said, "Please, Milady, place one hand on the pummel of the saddle," he indicated where, "and give me the other. I will hoist you up."

She did as he asked and when she was seated in front of him his arms came around her, touching her lightly, as he took the horse's reins and eased Duchess forward into a trot. Eleanor tried her best not to touch the man seated behind her but she soon found that this was impossible. With every movement the horse made, her body bobbed up and down on the saddle and her back came into contact with Gawain's chest. She cleared her throat nervously trying to think of anything but the warmth and hardness of the man against her. She also needed to take her mind off the arousing feeling of her most intimate place gently knocking against the saddle as Gawain gave Duchess the signal to canter.

_Oh damn it all!_ She finally said to herself and relaxed her body against Gawain now enjoying the ride which was slowly increasing in speed. She licked her lips absentmindedly as the bucking under her intensified and suddenly she wished that it was Gawain under her instead of behind her..._Although, if he was to take me from behind that would be more than wonderful too_... She almost smiled and then thought, _In all of the Demon World what the fuck am I thinking?_ She scolded herself. She groaned inwardly... It was waaaaay too long since she had been with a male.

She thought back then to the time when Velten had abandoned her for fifty years. She never felt so depressed and bereft. For weeks she was inconsolable not only because of the hurt the demon caused her, but also because she was so enormously angry. Not even her father would approach her, much more for Claus. Immediately after seeing Velten fly off he hurried home and packed everything he would need to stay at a friend's manor for a year.

For years she would not even look at another demon, but then one day she accidently met Count Xavier: tall, handsome, powerful and extremely sexy. He was instantly taken in by Eleanor with her long, curling black locks and her large and dark but unhappy eyes. Xavier had a reputation of being an incomparable lover, but had no intention of ever being faithful to one demoness.

At first his charms fell on deaf ears as he would _conveniently_ meet Eleanor at places she frequented and so his clandestine romance of her began. It took her a while to confess to herself that she enjoyed being the centre of his lascivious eyes and professions of how beautiful she was. Then one evening in a mad desire to know what spending the night in the arms of a lover was like, donning a heavy mantle and concealing her presence so no one would recognize her, she went to his castle. She was afraid but so very fascinated that she became emboldened when facing him. Steeling her nerves she invitingly she said, "I have come to you, Count Xavier to teach me all that I wish to know of physical love."

In the beginning Xavier only wanted one thing from Eleanor and the challenge she presented set his blood ablaze with want to possess her. But as he spent time with her and he saw her for who she was and he grew to respect her. How could he resist her now when she was standing in front of him making such a declaration?

He did as she asked but not before making her understand that their relationship would involve nothing more than sex. Xavier wanted there to be no misconception. He would respect her and give her unimaginably satisfying nights, but he did not want her falling for him for he would leave her for another lover after she learned all she could from him. Eleanor agreed not only because she was lonely, but also she thought that becoming an accomplished lover would help her in her pursuit of Velten. Thus, under Xavier's expert tutelage, Eleanor was introduced to the sweet abandon of sex purely for pleasure. In his arms she became quite versed in all sorts of decadent ways to please and to be pleased by a man, but not once did Velten ever allow her to show him what she knew about love and sex.

"Are you alright, Milady?" asked a concerned voice, knocking her out of her stroll among lusty memories. "You have gone silent."

"Urh... yes, Sir Gawain." She swallowed the lump which formed in her throat. "I am okay." She turned her head slightly towards him and said, "Thank you for this. I am enjoying it."

"Are you comfortable enough to go faster?" Gawain asked with a hopeful tone.

Eleanor smiled replying, "Fast is the only way to travel."

Gawain smiled as he flicked the rains and told Duchess to gallop ahead.

**Author Notes**: I will be very busy for the next few weeks but after that I will have a nice, limey (or lemony) chapter for you all. Till then thank you for reading and I will see you soon! :-)


	34. Passions Unbridled

**Chapter 34: Passions Unbridled **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hana to Akuma of any of the characters therein.

**NOTE: **_I know __it's been over a year since I updated this but I have been really busy. First work and then graduate school. Sometimes I don't have time to breath. Thank you so much for your comments and I am really sorry that it took so long to get this new chapter out. I have decided to spend about an hour every day after work and classes writing so it will be slow but should be steady from now on (except when I have exams). Thank you so much for being so patient with me._

**S8S8S8S8S8**

Gilbert took a break from preparing dinner to watch out the large kitchen window to consider his life as it was now. A part of him hated Vivi and Hana. Why was it that Tsubaki had to sacrifice herself for their sakes? He had waited over two centuries for a female to see him as a male capable of love and not a monster; and on the very next day, when his deepest and most private wish came to fruition, he lost the only hope which had made his loveless and joyless life worthwhile.

Hana's mood was improving. Because of Vivi's efforts, she was no longer feeling the full brunt of guilt. For the first few days Vivi also became the devoted friend: keeping her company, comforting her when tears came and speaking soft words. Now that 2 weeks had passed, he became more demanding of her, pushing her out of her depression. He would force her to go on walks with him in the afternoon, order her to eat regularly and chastise her for crying about Tsubaki. Roughly, he told her to cease belittling the witch's sacrifice by sobbing her time away. He had resolved to live the life which she had so generously given back to him and because he wanted Hana in it, she also had to let go of the past.

_Let go of the past? Never!" _Gilbert thought to himself._ The memories I and Tsubaki created will last the rest of my lifetime. How could I move on? What future was there for me now that Tsubaki was in a coma? _Oh yes… how Gilbert detested seeing Vivi and Hana together! Why should they be doing this well when his life was at its rottenest?

His brain told him that he was being unreasonable, but even recalling what Tsubaki had told him about Vivi's and Hana's significance to the world didn't change the way he felt. Maybe he was selfish, but he would not stop looking for a way to revive her, even if that meant taking Vivi's life and transferring it back to his red-haired witch. Suddenly he began to feel a great sense of gratitude that his love was in a coma and not dead. He forced away his despondent thoughts for a bit by thinking about what must be happening at home in the Demon World. Had Lucifer-sama done any State business while he had been away? Or was he occupying all his time with playing pranks on his subjects? Gilbert hoped that his King was not feeling so bored that he was forcing his court to engage in dangerous games and fights for amusement. Gilbert remembered the last time that happened. Groaning audibly, he rubbed his palm against his forehead. He was going to have so much cleaning up to do, but anything would be better than feeling sorry for himself while being trapped here in Avalon.

Using the mask of darkness to travel undetected, he would steal away every night to Tsubaki's room to see if there was any change. Tonight he would proceed to the castle with a different intent: to see Ayame to ask her how to get out of Avalon. He wouldn't allow her to see him in his gargoyle form. He would cast the spell of Absolute Darkness over his body so that even if she were to illuminate where he stood, she wouldn't be able to see him. The faster he got of Avalon, the faster he could start forgetting about Tsubaki and stop thinking about what happiness he could have found with her. He thought to himself, _As if I could ever stop thinking about her! _

**S8S8S8S8S**

Since Eleanor seemed so comfortable riding Duchess after only a brief time, Gawain suggested that he give her riding lessons and she readily accepted. So Sir Gawain came to call on her the next day with a gift of a dapple gray Hanoverian horse. He carefully chose this elegant and easy mannered filly so his student would have little difficulty handling her. "She is called Ashen Rose." He told Eleanor as he handed the reins to the demoness. "I will also teach you how to care for horses. There is much to learn and to do, and you are to keep her in the stables at the back. I have already furnished the stables with feed, a saddle, curry combs and everything else you will need."

Thus began the Interim Head of State's escape from the Reagent's Residence every other day for at least a couple of hours. Eleanor was a natural at horseback riding and progressed through the basics at a frightening speed. Within a week Eleanor was confident enough to leave the gently sloping field where they were training and asked Gawain to take her further afield, to sightsee a bit. Obliging, he lead her at a leisurely pace to the outskirts of Brimmingwood, a lush green forest which traced most of the southern boundary of the capital city. When they dismounted he told her, "Beyond this is the county of Sageshire known for its herbal medicines and fragrant bath soaps and salts."

She turned away from him, "If things were different then maybe I would have been inclined to go visit there and see what I could have brought back with me to Earth." Her voice was dejected.

"Lady Eleanor, I am working on a way to get you and your friends out of Avalon. I just need a little more time." He offered.

She turned to him then with eyes shining with tears about to escape. "I couldn't do anything and now I have to run away!?" She demanded.

"Lady Eleanor," Gawain began but she cut him off sharply continuing to berate herself.

"Tsubaki hasn't woken up and Hana is still blaming herself for everything! If I was stronger I could have supported her. She is just a little human! I have what you humans call supernatural powers and still I am worthless!"

"Eleanor, you are anything but worthless." Forgetting to use a title, he grabbed her shoulders and wheeled her around to face at him. "You tried so hard to help. I was there and I remember not being of any use at all! To make matters much worse, I, then the Captain of the Reagent's Guard, should have seen a coup coming, but I didn't. I was away for two nights but in that small timeframe trouble brewed out of control. After some investigation it came to my attention that the former Reagent had received a secret message from his daughter the night prior that she was being punished unfairly by the Queen. He had long been looking for an excuse to engage Lady Nimue in a fight. If there was no reason, the people would have recognized him as a usurper, so he used the allegation that Nimue was entertaining demons in Avalon. He had been creating an airtight plan for some time which I was unaware of and attacked when his spies told him that the Queen was away. He was completely prepared while you and your party of friends suspected nothing and felt safe! What is your defence against buckets of holy water?" The question was not meant to be answered, but he watched as Eleanor shivered visibly at the memory of Vivi and Velten being burned.

"If my Queen was there," Gawain continued, "she would have washed everyone away, but for reasons I have yet to learn, she left her castle unguarded. Of course, how could she have possibly known that Galahad would strike when he did?" His breathing was harsh with vehemence, but he added, "It was my fault! My Queen entrusted me to watch Galahad. She knew he would try to overthrow her, and I failed her!" His fingers which were digging into his companion's shoulders fell away limply to his sides and he turned away from her in shame.

Eleanor let out a heavy sigh, shook her head and blinked her tears away. Reaching out to his forearms she squeezed them gently and said, "This self-blame isn't getting us anywhere!" He smiled weakly and lopsidedly at her and Eleanor felt her heart jerk at that sexy sight.

Gawain knew that going to the hideout cabin so often was a risky, but he would take every opportunity to spent time with Eleanor because she would be leaving soon. His feelings of attraction deepened every time he came near her and soon he was found himself spellbound. Was she doing this to him? Did she use some sort of demoncraft and placed a spell on him? Since he couldn't help himself, at least, he took every precaution to ensure that no one followed him. These days, dressed in worn, unadorned or simple clothing, he would tell Eleanor to meet him somewhere for their daily exploration through some part of the countryside. He even used another horse. He hated being apart from Duchess, but he knew that once Eleanor returned to Earth or her home he would never see her again and so it was a necessary sacrifice. After fighting against it and denying it for two weeks, he finally admitted to himself that he wanted to be with Eleanor and not in a friendly way...

_But, how does one go about wooing a demoness?_ He marvelled. If he made the wrong move, she would not only reject him, but with just her brute strength, she could crush him completely. Gawain was as nervous as a bungling school boy, but knew quite well how to keep up appearances.

On the next day they went up a mountain path to a lookout point from which they could see almost the entire capital city sitting at ease in its valley. "We call it The Queen's Valley." he told her. It was a long but relatively easy ride as the road was kept in good repair. He was about to point out Tsubaki's castle and that of the former Reagent, where he now resided, situated on either side of the valley but then thought better of it. The last thing Gawain wanted was to ruin Eleanor's mood and rob her of the smile she wore.

Next was a ride through a field of wildflowers. In such romantic scenery, Eleanor was truly enjoying the Knight's company. He was delightful! Easily the most well-mannered man she ever met. He always gave her his full attention when she spoke, but it irked her that he was always overly gentlemanly. When he first began calling for her and giving her riding lessons she thought that he liked her as a woman, but as the days when by, he did not make any concrete show of it. He would always keep a safe distance between them and he had only touched her unnecessarily once, on the day when they were at the edge of the forest. He had stopped helping her off her horse since she no longer needed any assistance. It was then that she realized that she had been mistaken, that he wanted to be friends. That knowledge was too bad for her since she was lusting after him.

_It is just rebound feelings from being unwanted by Velten. _She mused silently_. I am nothing more than an interesting subject to occupy Gawain's time. _She told herself._ An interesting friend to spend time with until I leave! Why would he feel anything else for me? _Eleanor pushed her disheartening thoughts away and nudging the horse in its sides, began galloping through the field.

**S8S8S8S8S**

At first Velten ignored Eleanor and Gawain. He knew that Eleanor was still in love with him and so he was confident that nothing beyond friendship would develop between the knight and his ex-betrothed. However, as the knight continued to call on Eleanor and take her out riding, Velten observed Eleanor's change in disposition and behaviour. When he realized that her spirits were lifting he suddenly became interested in the knight's and the demoness' escapades together. So during their last few outings, he stealthily followed and spied on them.

Was he becoming jealous? "Pfft!" He laughed. _Why_ _would I? I never loved Eleanor, I just need to know if she is alright with that man... We would be foolish to trust him completely!_ He told himself the last time he watched them together. It was then that he became satisfied that there was nothing romantic between them, for the man never made an interested gesture towards Eleanor. Surely, if the man was attracted he would have made a pass already. They were completely alone, at least they believed that they were, and the surroundings were reminiscent of romance.

Velten returned home with a smug smile plastered on his face. He wasn't going to ask himself why he was feeling smug, just accepted it and went back to his evening nap before dinner. It wasn't like him to ponder over what or why he was feeling, he just went with it. Always racing through and delighting in life to the fullest, everyone and everything else be damned.

**S8S8S8S8S**

"I am taking you to somewhere special today, Lady Eleanor."

"Really?" she said in a sweet and amused voice. "Please tell me where!"

"No, it's a surprise." Gawain teased. "You will find out when we get there."

"**OH, C'mon**!" She laughed. "Can't you even give me even a hint?"

"No, no, but I am sure that you will like it." was his entire reply.

She made an unladylike noise of frustration and then turning to leave she said, "I shall get Ashen Rose."

"We will be walking to the surprise. It isn't too far from here and I would love a walk!"

"Okay!" Eleanor was excited. When was the last time she got a surprise? Hopefully it would be something she would enjoy. Any other attempt Eleanor made to discover the name or location of the place was met with vague or negative replies and so eventually she gave up and contended in walking alongside her knight.

He led her to the mountain path they had taken once before to overlook The Queen's valley, but after a short while he veered off to the east and unto a narrow footpath which was shaded by a thick canopy of trees. "Just a little further..." he turned to her as he fell into step besides her.

"It better be a good surprise!" Eleanor warned. "All this suspense for..." and then she saw it. The path widened in front of them to display a clearing in the forest. There she saw a long, sturdily built wooden bridge crossing an elongated steaming pond. The man made structure's bright red colour contrasted sharply against the dense foliage and natural walls of rock situated on either side. "A hot spring!" she exclaimed cheerfully as she busily made her way to the end of the bridge closer to her.

"Be careful!" Gawain called out. "The bridge is always wet and slippery because of the steam." But Eleanor didn't take heed as she skipped along like a child to the candy shop. She walked along about half of the bridge's length looking down for a nice spot to soak in where the water was gurgling invitingly. She looked around and then frowning asked, "Where do I change?" Her frown deepened as she voiced her thoughts, "And I didn't bring anything. No towels..."

"I didn't want to ruin the surprise." Gawain said gently as he caught up with her. "When I came here as a boy with friends, we never brought anything with us." Clearing his throat he said, "I will go back up the trail. I will return in about 40 minutes."

"Wait you're leaving me here alone? Don't you want to soak too?" she asked.

"I wish to give you privacy. I brought you here so you could spend some time away from everyone and everything, but I shall not be far."

"I don't mind if you stayed and soaked with me, Gawain. You could use the other side of the spring. You're always such a gentleman."

Was that dejection he heard in her voice? "Lady Eleanor…"

"I understand." She cut in.

"I will see you in a little later. I shall not be far. Please call out for me should you need anything." He told her just before walking away.

"No peeking!" Eleanor called out as she watched him disappear along the path they took to get there. She knew she was a pervert, but she wouldn't mind it if he looked. Wouldn't have minded at all! Sighing she waited until she couldn't see him and began removing her clothes. Carefully hanging them over the handrail of the bridge, Eleanor carefully eased her way into the hot, steaming water. "Ahhh!" After days of stress and not knowing what to do next, this was simply perfect! Stretching out her hands above her head he looked skyward. Directly above the pond and extending some way beyond it, there was no foliage and so she had a clear view the sky. She was growing accustomed to sunlight and she basked in the warmth of the fine weather.

Gawain knew he shouldn't have, but peek he did. From one point along the path, he had a perfect view of the hotspring through the trees. As he watched Eleanor disrobe his mouth became dry with longing for her. He couldn't tear his eyes away as he watched her unbutton her bodice. He bit his lip as he watched her remove her top. She bared one shoulder and then the other. He could now see her lacy brassiere which pushed her large breasts together. He looked on as her hands then went to the waist of her skirt to propel the zip downwards, and enjoyed the sight of the fabric slipping of her generously curving hips to reveal long, shapely legs. Although he noticed that her cute panties matched her bra he couldn't wait to see her with nothing on. In anticipation, he looked on, as her hands moved to the clasp behind her bra. Her bountiful breasts bounced free from the confines of her lingerie and he curled his fingers into his palms wishing that he could touch them, fondle them. He was quickly getting aroused as he watched her hook her fingers under the elastic of her panties and pushed them off her hips and down her legs. _Interesting… she has no hair on her…_ _For the love of God!_ He raked him hands through his hair as he stopped his scandalous thoughts. _Am I no better than a hormone raged teenager?_ He reprimanded himself. _Here I am in the middle of a forest playing Peeping Tom! _ Disgusted with himself he turned away and stomped off further along the path trying to calm himself down.

Eleanor sighed again and said to herself, "I wish he wasn't such a gentleman and made a move on me…" Disappointed she sunk herself lower into the water and closed her eyes.

Eleanor soaked there, feeling somewhat miserable for about 20 minutes before she heard a low rumbling sound. Cracking her eyes open she looked above and saw that dark clouds had replaced a sky of blue. She saw a large flash illuminate the sky. _A storm was coming in. Fabulous! _ She only had time for that thought before a torrential downpour began. Now she wished the trees covered the hot spring.

"Damn!" Hastily she stood up and flapping her wings a few times to get the excess water off of them she flew up to the bride and began pulling her clothes on. Now that she was out of the hot water she noticed how cold the raindrops were. _Odd,_ she thought, _that on such a hot day the rain would feel icy. Maybe it was because my skin was still hot_. She knew that Gawain would be coming shortly and so didn't bother with her underwear. She was still buttoning up her blouse when she saw him running down the forest path. As she was shoving her lingerie into her pockets she heard him say, "Lady Eleanor, there is a place nearby where we can shelter." A blaze illuminated the darkened sky.

"I wish I could fly us home, but not in this weather! Lead the way, Sir Knight!"

It only took a few minutes but by the time they got to the small cave for shelter, Gawain's clothing was soaked down to his linen shirt and braies he wore as undergarments. And he was shivering.

"Sir, you are cold." Eleanor said as she watched him tremble.

"And you Lady Eleanor?" he asked, his teeth almost chattering.

"I will be fine. I won't become ill because of this. But you…" she trailed off.

"I will be fine." He insisted.

"Gawain, there is no firewood here and this cave is quite cold for a human. If you do not remove your clothes you will catch hypothermia." Turning her back on him she continued. "Please undress."

"Lady El…"

"Gawain!" she almost shouted and continued in an authoritative tone. "Do not allow propriety to endanger your health. I am almost 200 years old; a naked male body holds no surprises for me." When he said nothing she turned her head so that it was over her shoulder but without looking at him, she continued in a softer voice, "Please, my Knight, I don't want you to fall ill! Please undress."

Gawain sighed almost inaudibly before obeying her commands. She was right.

Eleanor summoned one of her larger mallets and enveloped it in red flame. Turning back to Gawain, she found him sitting with his back facing her. Despite the darkness of the cave she could see quite clearly. Her eyes raked slowly down his well-muscled back. It seems like he didn't have any fat on him at all and he was powerfully built. Broad shoulders which were slightly hunched, a trim waist, nice firm buttocks and lean hips. He sat crossed leg and from where she stood she could see part of his large sinewy thighs. As if desiring him while clothed wasn't enough, she now found herself in a situation where he was naked. _By Lucifer…!_

Gawain felt so embarrassed. After seeing Eleanor naked and now being alone in this secluded place with her and naked, made him very aroused. The rest of his body was cold, but his member was standing at attention. How humiliating! He couldn't let her see and he covered himself with his large hands as best he could. He suddenly saw a low glow brighten the cave and he felt warmth radiating behind him.

Eleanor knew that Gawain was feeling quite uncomfortable so she simply placed the mallet down between them and then turning her back to him again she said, "Gawain, I have started a fire. Please sit near it. I am facing the opposite wall."

Gawain turned to see a large flaming hammer. Ah, he recognized it. She used it to break open the church doors. He sat close to it, again with his back to Eleanor. At least now he wouldn't have to worry about getting sick, but he was already sick in another way. Sick with desire for her.

Eleanor peeked at him. She was relieved that he did as she asked. She wanted to get out of her wet clothes too. Silently she undressed and then an idea struck her. Approaching Gawain from behind, she whispered, his name.

She saw his back tense and she knew he was on high alert. Without looking around he said, "Is there something you need, Lady Eleanor?"

"Don't be alarmed." She told him as she kneeled down behind him. Opening her wings she enveloped him within them.

He could feel the heat of her body enter his and he realized that she too was naked. "Lady Eleanor, I…"

"Hush." She whispered in his right ear. "Let me do this."

Eleanor revelled in the feel of his hard muscles against her breast. She had to bite her lips not to rub her nipples against his back. "My body temperature is slightly higher than your own. This will help warm you." When she felt him relax slightly against her, she wrapped her arms around his waist. Gawain couldn't help himself. Maybe he was becoming ill. _Damn it all! Better to live a life without regrets!_ He placed his hands over hers and turning his head slightly, he said, "Milady, I will arrange for you and your friends to leaving soon so I wish to tell you that I have grown very fond of you and will miss you greatly when you depart Avalon."

Her grip on him tightened at the sound of his words and a knot formed in her throat. When she trusted that her voice worked again she replied, "I will miss you too, Gawain." Her voice sounded sad. "I want…" she dared not finish her sentence.

"What is it that you want, Milady?" The words rushed out.

"Nothing… never mind." She tried to remove her hands from around him but he held them fast. She was stronger than him and could easily break away from him but didn't.

"Please… tell me. I shall grant you any wish that is within my power."

Eleanor was near tears. How is it that this human could utter such sweet words to her? Give her his undivided attention, take her to such beautiful places when then knew each other for just a few weeks? Velten never did anything of the sort, not even close. She realized then that this was the first time she thought about Velten while in the presence of Gawain. "I… I want… What I want is… You have been so good to me. I wish to spend more time with you." was the best she could manage.

"I want that too Eleanor." Gawain knew that a chance like this would not present itself again. Turning his upper body he placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed her briefly. It took Eleanor a second to realize what happened as she stared at him in disbelief and then she found herself pressing her lips against his hungrily.

Whatever little control they had mustered was shattered then. Gawain found himself kissing her fiercely and his tongue fought with hers for dominance. Dammit, he was losing, but it was such a sweet pleasure! When was the last time this happened, if ever? Could he recall ever becoming so hot for a woman with just a kiss? Was it because he had been lusting for her since they met?

Eleanor's arms tightened around the human. The feel of his tongue against hers sent delectable shivers down her spine and threatened to curl her toes. But she wanted more… More than just his lips… She wanted him, every inch of him… Suddenly she broke the kiss and pulled away a bit and saw Gawain's eyes fly open. She could feel herself growing wet and not from the rain. Her desire made her voice raw, "Lie down." she commanded hoarsely.

He started to protest. If he did as she asked she would see his shame. She repeated her command and added, "Do not make me ask again." more roughly than she intended but with a smile.

Gawain looked at her and suddenly understood for he knew what was coming next. He'd had his fair share of women. Maybe less than other knights, but he was no innocent lad. "Before I do that, let me kiss you again." He requested as he turned to face her. She pressed her lips against his and started kissing him hungrily again when he pulled away and said, "No, not like that."

She frowned in confusion. Cupping her cheek he unhurriedly closed the gap between them. Gently he caressed her lips with his. Eleanor wasn't prepared for the jolt of pleasure she experienced from such a soft gesture, but wanted to know where this was going and so let him lead. Little by little his kiss deepened as he applied just a little more pressure than before. After paying homage to her lips he stroked his tongue leisurely against them, softly begging for entry. Eleanor sighed against his mouth and as her lips parted for her sound to escape, Gawain slowly slid his tongue in. He tasted her, gently exploring every inch of her mouth that his soft, broad muscle could reach.

Eleanor learned quickly and she stoked his tongue back as softly as he was touching her. She felt her heartbeat quicken and her body melted into his for his kiss was so sweet. It was not like a battling of wills just now, but rather like two souls finding some sort of harmony together. She found herself clinging to him for his actions were so gentle and adoring. She had never felt anything like this before… It was like he was almost worshipping her. She felt not only desired, there was something else. These new feelings that were erupting inside her shook her to her core… For the first time in her life she felt truly beautiful. She felt cherished. She knew she shouldn't call it love just yet… but it certainly felt like it. Tears escaped from under closed eyelids.

**Thanks for your patience: *Bows* **


End file.
